


Overcoming Obstacles

by polarised



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Fluff Fic, Future Fic, Light Angst, light life is strange 2 spoilers, pricefield
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:21:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23599762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polarised/pseuds/polarised
Summary: Pricefield fluff fanfiction set 4 years after the events of Life is Strange. Chloe and Max are living together in New York City, in a happy relationship. They need to juggle their relationship, the effects of Max's choice, life in a new environment, and ghosts of the past coming back to haunt them...
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price
Comments: 26
Kudos: 89





	1. The Danziger Gallery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey, Max,” she said quietly as she pulled the box out of its hiding place. Max waited a few seconds before turning to face Chloe, who was holding her hands behind her back and looking… fearful? The usually fearless Chloe Price was biting her lip nervously, her eyes closed tight.

**March 20th, 2017, 1:28 PM**

“Hey, babe, I’m gonna run out for a coffee, do you want anything?” Max yelled down the corridor of her small New York apartment. Her bob hairstyle had grown out a bit, but apart from that, she still looked almost the same as she did when she left Arcadia Bay so long ago. Almost instantly, a head poked out from an open doorway, a smile plastered on her face.

“Hell yeah, get me a large mocha. I’ll pay you back tomorrow,” she said with a grin. Max shook her head smugly and reached into her purse, flashing a credit card that made Chloe’s grin turn into shock. “Hey, what the hell!” She said angrily, stepping out from her and Max’s room. Her naturally blonde hair now reached her shoulders, where the tips still carried some of the dye that was in her hair when she left with Max, now faded into a turquoise-green. Her distinct, colourful tattoo was now almost completely covered up with horizontal lines of black ink. Chloe stomped towards the laughing Max, who was holding the card behind her back with a smirk.

“This is you paying me back for that pack of cigarettes last week,” she said, barely containing a chuckle. Chloe raised a finger and opened her mouth to argue, but decided against it when she stopped to think for a second. Eventually, she sighed in defeat, hanging her head in shame, which only caused Max to laugh harder. “You really brought this on yourself. You’re 23 years old and you still leave your purse on the kitchen counter.” 

“Yeah, cause I’m not a paranoid ass! I thought my girlfriend would be considerate enough not to _steal my credit card_ but I guess not.” Despite her arguing, Chloe couldn’t help but smile at Max, who was still looking incredibly proud of herself. She simply planted a kiss on Max’s forehead and turned around to go back to their room. “Make that a small espresso. You better not bankrupt me, Caulfield.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, babe.”

**March 20th, 2017, 1:40 PM**

With some difficulty, Max opened the door to the apartment with a coffee in each hand and a small paper bag. As soon as Chloe heard the door close, she dashed out to the entranceway to help Max. However, when she saw the bag, her expression turned sour.

“Did you really use my credit card to buy cakes? You’re unbelievable,” she said, taking a sip from her coffee. Max rolled her eyes as she put Chloe’s credit card back in the correct purse.

“They’re for you, dummy. I felt bad about not being able to get you anything for your birthday,” Max went red with shame as she stared at her feet. “I’ll pay you back, I just need to apply to a few more galleries… the one I went to last week seemed to really like my work,” she said hopefully, looking up at Chloe, who wasn’t able to wipe the look of concern from her face quick enough. 

“Look, Maxi,” she started, her tone significantly softer after seeing that familiar sad look in Max's eyes. “I know it’s been hard. But, we both know that any gallery that passes _you_ up doesn’t deserve to call itself a real gallery,” she said with a smile, which caused Max to smile slightly. “Besides, it isn’t like we’re doing bad financially. I never knew tattooing paid so well.” Chloe put a hand on Max’s shoulder, squeezing softly. “We’ll be ok, promise.”

“If you say so. I guess I'll just keep doing freelance work while I’m job hunting, some people pay really well for easy shots,” Max said, now bubblier than she was previously. Chloe smiled, wrapping an arm around Max’s waist.

“That’s the spirit, babe. Now c’mon, we still have to finish Stranger Things.”

**April 1st, 2017, 10:42 AM**

“Why do you think I’m pissed, Chlo?” Max asked exasperatedly, desperately trying to wash a streak of blue out of her hair while Chloe laughed somewhat nervously at her side.

“Chillax, Max. It’s a semi-permanent dye, it’ll wash out in a couple days,” she said, putting her hands on Max’s shoulders. The younger woman just groaned louder at this, however.

“Chloe I'm meeting with a gallery rep tomorrow! If I show up with this in my hair, they'll never take me or my photos seriously!” Max cried, gripping the sides of the sink tightly as she eyed the blue streak of hair in the mirror with frustration. To her surprise, Chloe started laughing harder.

“Oh my god, you do know you’re talking about an art gallery, right? Those hipsters will love it. Hell, they’ll probably ask you to keep it. If anything, I’ve done you a favor,” she said, punctuating her point by crossing her arms with a smirk. Max sighed.

“Chloe Price.”

“That’s me.”

“My lovely girlfriend.”

“Mmhmm?”

“I love you, but you are a smug ass sometimes.”

“I pride myself on it,” Chloe replied, still smirking. Max sighed again, smiling despite herself.

“I know you do,” she said quietly. She turned to face Chloe, running a hand through her hair that caused the blue streak to fall in front of her eye. Chloe turned bright red and took a couple steps back.

“You know what, I think I did do you a favor,” she muttered. Max cocked an eyebrow at her, which caused her to splutter more. “I-I mean, you already looked amazing before, but now it’s like. You’re hot in a badass way rather than a girl-next-door way, you know?” Chloe said quickly, fidgeting with the buttons on the sleeve of her shirt. Sensing an opportunity to mess with Chloe, Max laughed slightly and sauntered towards her, purposefully swaying her hips more than usual. Predictably, Chloe backed up slightly at first, but eventually stood her ground. Max wrapped her arms around the back of Chloe’s neck as Chloe slipped her hands into Max’s back pockets. Their lips were mere centimeters apart when Max whispered “You don’t get to kiss me until tomorrow. Payback.” Chloe groaned at this, pushing Max back slightly as the other girl burst into laughter. 

“You really know how to blue-ball a girl, huh?” Chloe said, clearly disappointed.

“Watch it Bluebeard, or I’ll extend it to a month.”

 **  
** **May 5th, 2017, 12:03 PM**

“I can’t believe you fell asleep your first time watching Star Wars! That should be illegal, Max!” Chloe complained loudly, following a yawning Max out of the bedroom. 

“Sorry Chlo, I had to get up early yesterday to get some work done so I wasn’t really ready to stay up till-holy shit,” she said suddenly, rushing towards the front door of their apartment. A white envelope with a “DG” in the upper left corner was lying on the doormat. Chloe eyed it curiously, trying to deduce what the hell it was for, even though Max seemed to know immediately. As she tore open the envelope, she was repeatedly muttering “Come on, come on please”. Chloe guessed that whatever Max was hoping for had come true based on the scream of joy and attack hug from behind that almost knocked the cup of coffee from her hand. 

“Woah, easy Mad Max,” Chloe chuckled, swinging Max around slightly on her back. “What’s so exciting?” Max let go of Chloe and went back to the letter, clearing her throat dramatically.

“Dear Miss Caulfield, we at the Danziger Gallery would love to display a collection of your photographs in our gallery. We currently have no exhibits booked for June 8th through July 1st, and we believe this would be a great time to show off your work. Please let us know if this is ok with you, and if so, attach any photographs you would like to have displayed in your return letter.” After she was done reading, both women were silent for a moment before Max abruptly yelled “Chloe they want my pictures in a real photo gallery!” That’s all it took for Chloe to envelop Max in a hug of her own.

“Yes! I’m so proud of my superstar. This is the start of something big for you, I can tell,” she said, smiling brightly at Max, who looked at Chloe through tear-filled eyes.

“I’m just glad I can share it with you. After all the shit we went through in Arc - in Oregon, I never thought I’d end up here, with you,” she said tearfully. Chloe shook her head, wiping the tears from Max’s eyes.

“This was your destiny, Max. Our destiny. Dealing with all that bullshit was worth it just to be here with you now,” she said quietly. Max hugged Chloe again, and they stayed locked in that embrace for a while. Max nuzzled into Chloe’s collarbone as Chloe stroked her hair gently.

“Chloe… thank you for believing in me, even when I was a kid. I…” she faltered slightly, before breaking the hug to look up at Chloe, to look into her eyes. “I love you, Chloe.” As soon as she said it, Max felt tears forming in her eyes yet again as she realised just how much she owed to Chloe. A red flush crept up Chloe’s face, and she was speechless for once.

“I - uh - I love you too, Max. I’m so lucky to still have you,” she said hoarsely. “You could’ve let me die in that bathroom, but you didn’t. I literally owe you my life, babe.” Max shook her head vigorously.

“Don’t even make me think about that, I hate to imagine what I would do without my partner in crime,” she said with a smile, which Chloe quickly returned.

“Don’t worry, I’ll always be here for my partner in time - wait, that doesn’t really work anymore, does it?” Chloe said with a giggle, drawing a laugh from Max. “Do you ever miss it? Being able to fuck with time, I mean,” she asked after a moment, even though deep down she knew the answer already.

“Definitely not. Maybe sometimes when I spill a drink it would be useful to have it back, but it did way more harm than good. I mean, it basically wiped out my home. Our home,” Max said with a slight shudder that made Chloe regret asking her question. 

“Yeah, it did... “ she said quietly, shaking her head. “But come on, don’t dwell on that. This is a huge moment for you! Your pictures are gonna be in a fuckin’ gallery!” Chloe exclaimed, bouncing on her heels slightly. Max couldn’t help but smile at how happy Chloe was for her. She went to the counter and picked up the cup of coffee Chloe had made for her, now lukewarm due to how long they had talked about the letter. 

“I guess this means I should start picking out what pictures I want them to have,” she said thoughtfully, before her eyes lit up suddenly. “We need to get the photo album!” Max hadn’t even finished the thought before she put down the mug and rushed off to their bedroom, leaving Chloe standing in the kitchen alone, somewhat dumbfounded.

“Yeah, I guess we do,” she said to the empty space where Max stood just a second before. In record time, Max was back in the kitchen, slightly out of breath but holding a thick photo album. Smiling at Max’s enthusiasm, Chloe made her way to the couch in the middle of their apartment’s small living room, gesturing for Max to sit down next to her. The couple put the album between them and opened it to the first page, which was covered in polaroids of Chloe, much to Max’s embarrassment and Chloe’s entertainment. 

“Hey, look!” Chloe said, pointing to a photo of her 19 year old self lying on the hood of a rusted car, pointing a gun in the air. “I remember that, we were shooting bottles and you passed out, then Frank tried to scare us and you shot him! Well, tried to shoot him,” she added teasingly. 

“I was scared! That creep pulled a knife on you, I didn’t know what to do,” Max muttered, embarrassed. She stared at the photo of Chloe, waves of admiration washing over her. Chloe’s short, electric blue hair was tucked into a beanie, her jacket partially covered the colourful tattoo that was now a source of shame and sadness for Chloe. “God, you looked so good…” Max said without thinking, drawing a slight scoff from Chloe.

“What, you think I should dye my hair again?” She asked, a tinge of hurt in her voice, to which Max shook her head softly.

“No, no I really like how it is now,” she said quietly, taking the photo out of the album. “I think I wanna give them this one, it’s a really good shot.” Chloe raised her eyebrows at this, looking from Max to the photo and back to Max.

“You wanna give them a picture of me? To display in a gallery?” Chloe said slowly, causing Max’s eyes to widen in concern as she fumbled to put the photo back in the album.

“S-sorry Chloe, I wasn’t thinking. I just-” she started, but Chloe cut her off with a laugh.

“Max, it’s cool. It’s just surreal thinking about those weird art people judging a photo of me, that’s all,” she said softly, placing a hand on Max’s. “I’d be honored to be part of Maxine Caulfield’s gallery exhibit extravaganza thing.” Max bit her lip nervously before she put the photo on the coffee table in front of them. The couple spent almost an hour going through the album until they had a stack of thirty photos on the table, ranging from photos taken during that week in October, to a photo Max took just a few days ago. Unsurprisingly, most of the photos featured Chloe.

“They should be calling it the Chloe Price exhibit,” Chloe said with a smirk, which caused Max to turn bright red. 

“You’re a good model, I guess,” she mumbled.

“Or you just wanted to take a bunch of photos of me because you had a massive crush on me,” Chloe teased. Max attempted to argue but couldn’t seem to think of any rebuttal that would prove Chloe wrong, so she simply closed the photo album as Chloe laughed. 

“Thought so. Hey, I have a client coming in at 3, but after that we could go get a celebration dinner if you want,” Chloe said, pulling out her phone to check the time. 

“You sure you don’t just wanna order a pizza?” Max asked, but Chloe waved the suggestion away before Max was even done speaking.

“No, I wanna celebrate my girlfriend being a badass. Come on, we could go to that new hipster burger place, my treat,” she said, taking Max’s hands in her own. Max sighed a little before nodding with a small smile, causing Chloe to cheer loudly. “I should probably get ready, could you call David and tell him the good news and let him know we’re ok?” She asked, which made Max groan slightly.

“Chloe, he’s your d-” Max started before being quickly cut off by Chloe.

“Maxine, please? While I shower? Tell him I’ll call him myself tomorrow,” Chloe said seriously, looking into Max’s eyes. With a defeated sigh, Max nodded. “Thanks babe,” Chloe said happily, planting a kiss on Max’s cheek before standing up and heading for their bedroom. As Max dialed David’s number, Chloe quietly shut the door to the bedroom, taking a deep breath. She crept over to her bedside table, opening the main drawer and rummaging around the very back corner for a moment before pulling out a small, velvety box. 

“Better tonight than ever,” she whispered to herself as she opened the box and eyed the gold and silver ring inside with a small smile.

 **  
** **May 5th, 2017, 8:23 PM**

By the time Max and Chloe left the small, cozy restaurant, it was almost pitch black outside, the only light coming from the cars whizzing past them, streetlights, and other buildings. The two women were laughing about something as the door swung shut behind them, walking arm-in-arm down the quiet street. 

“You know some old fart is gonna lose it at the fact your _selfies_ are in a gallery,” Chloe said loudly, causing Max to laugh harder. “If only those assholes in the Vortex Club could see you now. Max Caulfield, featured photographer at the Danziger Gallery!” Chloe shouted these last words, which drew a cheer from Max. 

“Can we go see the gallery? I’ve only ever really seen it once, when I submitted my portfolio,” Max asked after her laughter petered out. Immediately, Chloe knew it was the perfect spot to enact her plan.

“Yeah, of course. How far is it?” She asked as Max pulled out her phone. After a few seconds of typing, the words _Danziger Gallery - 0.8 Miles_ appeared on Max’s phone. Chloe scoffed, draping an arm around Max’s shoulders.

“That’s nothing. Lead the way, Super-Max,” she said, earning a wide grin from Max. After about ten minutes of laughter-filled walking, the couple stopped in front of a relatively small building. There was no sign, no indication that this was the correct building, but Max knew right away that this was the right place.

“There it is,” she said simply. Chloe cocked her head to the side skeptically, as if the non-existent sign was only visible at a certain angle. 

“It doesn’t look like an art gallery,” she said, more to herself than to Max. But Max shook her head and stepped closer to the gallery windows, peering inside. The inside of the building was shrouded in darkness, but there were clearly pieces of art lining the white walls. A smile crept across Max’s face as she imagined her own photos on those walls, being critiqued and admired by hundreds of people. With a deep breath, Chloe stepped back a few paces, rummaging around in her jacket pocket while Max was occupied. 

“Hey, Max,” she said quietly as she pulled the box out of its hiding place. Max waited a few seconds before turning to face Chloe, who was holding her hands behind her back and looking… fearful? The usually fearless Chloe Price was biting her lip nervously, her eyes closed tight. Max stepped forward, concerned, before Chloe opened her mouth.

“Max, I’ve known you for almost my entire life. You were always one of the only people I could turn to, one of the only people I was comfortable with,” she trailed off, her eyes fixated on her shoes. “And… I hate to say but I was jealous of you for years. You were smart, funny, you always knew exactly what to say and I… I was this abrasive, misbehaving jackass. When you left for Seattle, I turned that jealousy into anger and hate. But when you came back to Arcad - um - came back to me, 4 years ago, I forgot all that bullshit. From that week on, you became my entire world. You became the only thing I really care about. You became…” she took a deep breath. “You became the love of my life.” Max covered her mouth with her hand, shocked by Chloe pouring her heart out like this. “You’ve given me the best 4 years of my life, and I don’t want that to end, so...” Chloe took another deep breath. Then she knelt down, and moved her hands from behind her back. There was a small box in her hand. Max’s eyes immediately filled with tears.

“Chloe, if this is a joke-”

“Come on Max, I wouldn’t joke about this. I’m serious. Maxine Caulfield, would you marry me?” Chloe opened the box and revealed a stunning gold ring with silver accents all around, reflecting in the light of the streetlamp. There was a beat of stunned silence before Max ran toward Chloe, who stood up in time to catch Max and lift her up into a massive hug.

“Yes, yes of course I’ll marry you! Oh my god, Chloe, I love you! I can’t believe this!” She shouted as Chloe swung her around, cheering. After what felt like forever, Chloe gently set Max down and slipped the ring onto her finger, relieved that it fit perfectly. Chloe laughed softly, wiping tears out of her own eyes.

“I love you too, Maxi. Not a bad day for you, huh?” She said quietly, looking from the gleaming ring to Max’s eyes brimming with tears.

“The best day,” she replied in a whisper. Chloe brushed a strand of hair out of Max’s eyeline, before cupping her face in her hand, stroking her cheek with her thumb. Chloe leaned down slightly to kiss Max, their lips touching gently. As the kiss continued, Max stood on the tips of her toes so she was the same height as Chloe, and wrapped her arms around Chloe’s midsection. If Max still had her powers, she would have rewound back to this moment over and over again. She could smell the shampoo she and Chloe shared, taste the cigarette Chloe had stomped out shortly before they arrived at the gallery. When they finally broke the kiss, both women giggled softly, unable to take their eyes off each other.

“Wait,” Max said suddenly, her eyes widening. “We have to tell my parents. And David. And everyone in Seattle,” Chloe simply smiled and held out her hand, which Max took immediately, squeezing Chloe’s hand tightly.

“Let’s get back to the apartment and take some pics then. Maybe if you get a good shot you could use it in your exhibition,” Chloe joked, running her finger along Max’s ring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This fic was inspired by an interaction in Life is Strange 2, so I'm trying to stick to canon but obviously that's hard with how small said interaction was and how little information there is about Max and Chloe's life after the first game. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this! I am planning at least 1 more chapter so keep an eye out for that. As always, kudos, comments, and shares are much appreciated.
> 
> Follow me on twitter: @DARKROOMMAX
> 
> PS, I'm not the best at describing the looks of characters, so if you're curious about my inspiration for their looks in this fic, I mostly used this picture from Life is Strange 2 as a reference.  
> https://life-is-strange.fandom.com/wiki/Max_and_Chloe?file=LiS2E5_Away_-_Max_%26_Chloe.png


	2. Maxine Caulfield: A Life of Love and Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m still here, don’t worry,” Chloe whispered, stroking Max’s hair softly. “I’m never leaving you, I promise.” Both women were silent for a while, the silence only broken by Max’s occasional sniffling.

**May 6th, 2017, 9:17 AM**

The first thing Max saw after slowly prying her eyes open the next morning was her engagement ring lying on her bedside table, which set off a new wave of fireworks in her heart. And the first thing she felt was Chloe’s arm draped around her waist, holding her tightly. Carefully, she moved Chloe’s arm so that she could get out of bed. Trying her hardest to stretch without letting out a groan, Max slipped on her engagement ring (cue more heart fireworks) and quietly walked to the kitchen. As she brewed herself a cup of coffee, she went over the events of last night in as much detail as she could remember. The burgers they ate, walking to the gallery, Chloe’s engagement speech, the amazing kiss they shared, all the vodka they drank… and something else... 

“Shit, the pictures!” Max exclaimed, slapping her hand to her forehead. The one thing they had forgotten to do was take pictures celebrating to show their friends and family. For a second, she considered waking Chloe up, but decided to let her girlfriend -  _ no, fiancée  _ \- sleep. Once her coffee was done brewing, she walked back into their bedroom, where Chloe was still fast asleep. She looked so cute asleep, her usual hardass exterior was shed and what was left was the Chloe that Max truly fell in love with. The vulnerable, soft woman who would do anything for those she loved. Carefully as to not wake Chloe up, Max got back into bed and retrieved her laptop from under the bed. Just as it had finished booting up and Max was getting ready to write an e-mail to her distant relatives telling them the news, Chloe started to stir. Max always thought the way Chloe first opened her eyes after waking up was adorable, one eye after the other like a dog.

“Bluh… g’morng Max,” she mumbled, rolling over to face Max, who had set aside her laptop to admire the rare Tired Chloe. 

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” she said teasingly, causing Chloe to roll onto her front with a whine.

“Don’t give me shit just because you’re incapable of getting a hangover,” Chloe said, her voice muffled. Max shook her head, reaching for the cup of coffee on her bedside table.

“Here, you can finish my coffee, Chlo,” she said softly as she gave Chloe a light nudge with the mug. Chloe looked up at Max, looking dazed and confused, but eventually smiled when she saw the mug Max was holding. With great effort, Chloe sat up in bed and reached for the mug. After a few sips, she seemed to liven up slightly.

“God, I can barely remember last night. How much did we drink?” She asked, almost sounding like she didn’t really want to know the answer.

“Well, we’re out of vodka,” Max said simply, which Chloe responded to with a noise somewhere between a cry and a groan. “Please tell me you haven’t forgotten our engagement. I might have to pre-divorce you,” Max said somewhat anxiously, but Chloe waved the concern away.

“Don’t worry, Maxi, I wasn’t that bad. That part’s super clear. Just… everything before and after is a blur,” she finished, embarrassed. Max laughed softly. 

“Yeah, we both forgot something important,” she started, before being cut off by a concerned Chloe.

“Fuck, did I lose the ring? Did you remember to pay the bill at the burger place?” She said hurriedly, now more awake than ever.

“No, babe, we forgot to take pictures to show everyone.” As soon as Max said this, Chloe’s panic lessened significantly.

“Oh, alright. Well we can always take them today, right?” She asked, which drew a smile from Max.

“Yeah, are you doing any work today?” Max asked Chloe, who, surprisingly, burst into laughter.

“I was supposed to but I had to change her appointment because, y’know,” she trailed off, slightly embarrassed.

“Because you got engaged and decided to get blackout drunk?” 

“Yeah, that. But the important part is that we got engaged, babe. We’re gonna get married!” Chloe exclaimed, pulling Max into a hug. “C’mon, I’ll make breakfast for us,” she continued, kissing Max on the forehead before dragging herself out of bed. Max grinned at how happy Chloe was. It was a happiness that Max had seen before, but not for a long time, not since they left Oregon. As Chloe made her way into the kitchen, yawning loudly, Max laid back down in bed, bringing her hand up to stare at her ring. It still didn’t feel real, the fact that she was going to marry her best friend, her childhood crush. They would have to plan a wedding and a honeymoon, invite whoever they could, they could even try to move out of their little apartment and into an actual house. Max sighed softly as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, walking to the kitchen with a slight bounce in her step. Chloe was already standing over a pan of sizzling bacon, a fresh cup of coffee in her hand and her hair tied back into a ponytail.  _ She looks so much like Joyce…  _ Max thought with a pang of sadness as she grabbed the camera lying on the counter. She snapped a photo of her fiancée from the back, admiring the polaroid her camera spat out.

“Is that going in the wedding album?” Chloe asked, drawing a giggle from Max, who wrapped her arms around Chloe’s torso from behind. Chloe laughed, gently swatting at Max’s hands with her spatula. “C’mon hippie, I can’t make bacon with you groping me,” she joked, causing Max to let go as she felt her cheeks glow red.

“Sorry, I just… I’m just really happy,” she said quietly. Chloe sighed softly, unable to keep a smile off her face.

“Yeah, so am I. Now let me make you breakfast, loser,” she said. Max laughed and made her way to the living room, picking up the stack of photos on the table as she sat down. She sifted through the photos, admiring both her own work and Chloe’s looks. Soon enough, Chloe put a plate filled with bacon, egg, sausages, and beans in front of Max, who almost moaned in delight. 

“C’mon seat-hog, scooch over,” Chloe teased, nudging Max with her hip. As soon as Chloe sat down, her phone buzzed in her pocket, which she groaned loudly at. “It’s David, he’s pissed at me for not calling him yet,” she said through a mouthful of bacon. A smile crept onto Max’s face, causing Chloe to raise a quizzical eyebrow.

“We could show him why you haven’t called him,” she said slowly, as Chloe’s look of concern turned into a smile to match Max’s. 

“You’re a genius, Caulfield,” she said, switching to the camera on her phone. Max put an arm around Chloe’s shoulder and kissed Chloe on the cheek as she flashed her ring to the camera. Even after she heard the fake shutter sound of the camera, Max refused to break the kiss for another couple seconds, basking in the moment for as long as she could get away with. When she did break the kiss and open her eyes, she saw the picture on Chloe’s screen and made a mental note to print off the photo for the photo album. After Chloe sent the picture, it only took a minute for Chloe’s phone to start buzzing as David tried to call them, causing both of them to burst into laughter. As soon as they answered the call, they heard David’s voice on the other line.

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me sooner!? When did this happen, how long have you waited to tell me?” He asked, his voice a strange mix of frustration and joy. Both girls burst into laughter again at his outburst.

“Davi - er - Dad, chill. It only happened last night, we were gonna tell you but we…” Chloe looked to Max, who raised her eyebrows as a warning. “We forgot, sorry.” David breathed a sigh of relief on the other end of the call.

“Thank God, I was worried I was being kept out of the loop. Does anyone else know?” He asked, his voice now significantly softer.

“I’m gonna tell my parents soon, but you’re the first person we’ve told,” Max said, which caused David to laugh.

“Well, I’m glad I was the first. I’m… I’m really happy for both of you,” he said, lowering his voice. “You two deserve each other. Always have, from what I’ve heard.”

“Dad!” Chloe shouted as Max burst into another fit of laughter.

“What? I’m just saying, your mother told me about how you two were joined at the hip as kids,” he cleared his throat after mentioning Joyce. He had clearly caught himself off guard. “Have you - uh - gone to see your mother recently?” He quietly asked Chloe, who sighed.

“No, I’ve been busy.” Max heard a sadness in Chloe’s voice that was so jarring to her after everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. She took Chloe’s hand in her own, giving it a short squeeze that made Chloe smile. “What have you been up to, dad?”

“Oh, just doing what I can to help out whoever. That’s not important, I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of both of you. Can I ask if I’m invited to the wedding?” He sounded nervous, like he didn’t expect a good answer, but Chloe scoffed.

“Of course you’re invited. We still have to plan all that shit but we’ll let you know when we have it all figured out,” Chloe answered, to which David sighed in relief.

“Okay, good. Do you girls mind if I bring a special guest?” He asked, causing Max and Chloe to look at each other with concern.

“Uh… I guess not? Just as long as they’re not an asshole,” Chloe said slowly, which seemed to satisfy David.

“Alright, well, good. Anyway, I should get going, you two have a good day,” he said. Max could practically hear his smile.

“You too Dad, bye.”

“Bye David!” As soon as the call ended, Chloe looked at Max, dumbfounded.

“Who the fuck could he bring as a special guest?” Chloe asked, which Max could only reply to with a shrug. Chloe shook her head, throwing her phone onto the table. “Whatever, I’m sure it’s fine. My bacon’s cold though,” she said sadly, letting a piece of bacon droop off her fork sadly. 

“It was really good when it was warm,” Max said sweetly. Chloe smiled and ruffled Max’s hair.

“Thanks babe. We should probably just call your parents now, right? Get it over with?” She asked, grimacing slightly. Max nodded with a sigh.

“Might as well. Just be ready for the screaming,” she replied, causing Chloe to laugh loudly.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

**  
** **May 25th, 2017, 1:53 AM**

A blue butterfly. A door slamming open.

“You own this school. If I wanted, I could blow it up. You’re the boss.”

The door slams open again.

“I can tell everybody Nathan Prescott is a punk ass who begs like a little girl and talks to himself-” Chloe’s voice?

Two metal objects brush against each other.

“You don't know who the fuck I am or who you're messing around with! Nobody would even miss your punk ass, would they?”

“Get that gun away from me, psycho!”

A gunshot. Something hits the floor heavily. A metal object clatters onto the floor.

Images flashed by rapidly. Nathan Prescott being interrogated. Joyce and Max comforting each other. Watching the sunset alone on the cliff in Arcadia Bay. A coffin.

A blue butterfly.

“CHLOE!!” Max sat bolt upright in bed, dripping in sweat. To her right, Chloe woke with a start.

“Max! Max, what’s wrong?” She asked, fumbling for the light switch. When the light turned on, she saw Max’s eyes wide with terror, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. Cautiously, Chloe put a hand on Max’s back, tracing circles on her shoulder blade with her thumb. Max was silent for a minute, trying to speak but unable to find the words.

“I… I had the dream again. With you a-and Nathan Prescott…” she finally mumbled shakily, pulling her knees up to her chest. “It’s been s-so long since I h-had that dream… i-it felt so real...” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. Chloe put her arm around Max’s shoulder, pulling her into a tight hug. Max positioned her head so she could clearly hear Chloe’s heartbeat, wrapping her arms around Chloe’s midsection.

“I’m still here, don’t worry,” Chloe whispered, stroking Max’s hair softly. “I’m never leaving you, I promise.” Both women were silent for a while, the silence only broken by Max’s occasional sniffling.

“Chloe… what if something happens to you again, and I can’t rewind? What if I  _ can  _ rewind but I fuck everything up again?” Max asked hoarsley, but Chloe just shook her head.

“That won’t happen. We’re fine now, Max, nothing bad has happened to us since we left  _ there _ . Hell, we’re better than ever. Your exhibit is in like two weeks, David is finally not a douche, we’re getting  _ married _ , everything is great now.” Max nodded as Chloe spoke, slowly starting to calm down.

“I saw more than I used to, this time. I… I saw your funeral,” Max said quietly, causing Chloe to stop stroking her hair.

“M-my funeral?” She repeated softly. “Did you see who was there?”

“A lot of people from Blackwell. David, Joyce, Frank,” Max muttered, her voice muffled by Chloe’s shirt. Chloe was silent for a moment, before clearing her throat and continuing stroking Max’s hair.

“It’s a good thing that the funeral never happened then. I don’t want those Blackwell pricks to get in the way of people who actually care about me,” she said bitterly. Max smiled a little at the return of angry Chloe. 

“Sorry for waking you up, Chlo. I think I feel better now,” she said, wiping her eyes and letting go of Chloe, who smiled gently.

“Don’t worry, Max. You’re my number one priority,” she said, blushing slightly. Max smiled sadly, lifting herself slightly to reach Chloe’s lips for a kiss as Chloe flicked the lights off. 

  
**June 8th, 2017, 8:45 AM**

Max walked silently through the small gallery, trying not to burst into tears at the sight of her own photos lining the blindingly white walls. She stopped in front of a photo she had taken of herself and Chloe showing off her engagement ring, and sighed happily. The sign outside read “Maxine Caulfield: A Life of Love and Loss”, which seemed appropriate to her given most of the photos were either of Chloe or Arcadia Bay, or both. There was already a line of people outside the building, chattering about some of Max’s work they had seen online. Between setting up the exhibit and planning her wedding, Max felt like she was about to collapse from exhaustion at any second, but she wasn’t going to miss the first day of her exhibit. 

“Maxi, can you believe how fucking awesome this is?!” Chloe yelled from the other side of the gallery, beaming with joy and pride. 

“It’s pretty cool,” Max said, still slightly overwhelmed. Chloe looked up at a picture of herself, sitting on the bench at the Arcadia Bay lighthouse, watching the sunset.

“It’s more than pretty cool. I mean, you made it. You’re in an actual art gallery. It’s amazing,” she said gently as Max approached the picture Chloe was looking at. Max put her arm around Chloe’s waist, sighing softly.

“Couldn’t have done it without you,” she whispered, looking up at Chloe with a smile.

“You totally could have. I’m just here for moral support, you’re the talented one,” Chloe said with a wave of her hand, although Max could tell that what she had said meant a lot to Chloe. Max checked her watch and whined nervously.

“They’re opening in five minutes, shit,” she muttered, fidgeting with her ring.

“You got this, Super-Max, don’t worry,” Chloe responded. Max nodded feverently, but continued fidgeting nervously. “I’ll mingle with people, convince them to work with you. And don’t worry, I’ll be as nice as I can be with these pretentious douches,” she said the last words through gritted teeth, earning a glare from Max. Before she could say anything, however, the receptionist’s voice rang throughout the building.

“We’re opening the doors in one minute, Miss Caulfield!” 

“Okay, thank you!” Max called out, turning back to Chloe nervously. Chloe put her hands on Max’s shoulders, squeezing tight.

“You can do this Max. You got this far, now you just have to bask in it. I believe in you,” she said hurriedly, with Max nodding along to every word.

“I got this, I got this. Thank you, Chloe, I love you,” Max whispered frantically. Chloe leaned down and kissed Max quickly.

“I love you too. Now c’mon, time to wow these hipsters.”

  
**June 8th, 2017, 6:53 PM**

“Pretty sure I heard one guy call you cute and I almost kicked him in the balls, but apart from that I think I was okay,” Chloe said before slurping down more noodles. Max could barely hold her chopsticks, her hands were shaking so much. As soon as the doors of the gallery had opened, she had gone into some kind of zen mode where all of her anxiety just disappeared, and was replaced by pure adrenaline. 

“Yeah, I got so many business cards,” Max said, trying to keep her voice calm when all she wanted to do was yell “I’M A FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER AT THE DANZIGER GALLERY” at the top of her lungs to everyone in the restaurant. “Some magazines wanted to interview me, I don’t even know what I’d say to them,” she said incredulously, causing Chloe to laugh.

“Just tell them about yourself, dude. Tell them you’re a badass who had superpowers and now has a hot fiancée,” she said with a mouthful of noodles.

“If I tell them I had superpowers they’d think I’m crazy and then my career would be over,” Max replied matter-of-factly, which Chloe replied to with a simple shrug.

“Maybe, or they’d think you’re a badass who had superpowers. Depends on how cool they are,” she said, sitting back and watching Max pick at the box of noodles in front of her. “You’ve barely touched your food, Maxi, what’s up?” 

“Oh, it’s nothing I’m just still processing everything that happened today,” Max said, shaking her head. “I’m not that hungry, do you want some?” She pushed the box towards Chloe, who didn’t move, instead studying Max with her eyes.

“There’s something else,” Chloe said softly. “You can’t hide shit from me, I know you too well,” she added. Defeated, Max set down her chopsticks, sighing deeply.

“I’ve been thinking… I wanna have our wedding in Seattle. And…” she bit her lip nervously, avoiding eye contact with Chloe. “I wanna do it on the 4 year anniversary of the storm,” she said finally, making Chloe raise her eyebrows in shock.

“Damn, Max, that’s… unexpected. But if that’s what you want, I’m happy to go with it,” she said with a smile that changed Max’s mood from anxious to joyous.

“Really? We could stay with my parents, they’ve been wanting me to visit for months anyway, and I could do some interviews and photoshoots to save up money,” she said excitedly. Chloe couldn’t help but laugh softly at her enthusiasm.

“Sure, I might have to do some work on the truck to get it ready for the journey but it should definitely be possible. I’ll have to talk to David to make sure he can make it to Seattle, but I think he’d be willing to make the trip,” she said, sitting up in her chair. Max grinned and finally started on her noodles, eating like someone who’d been starving for years. 

“So, Seattle here we come?” Chloe asked as she walked out of the restaurant arm-in-arm with Max, who smiled up at her.

“Seattle here we come.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm thinking I may continue this fic past where I originally intended to end it, I've thought of some new ideas and I'm really enjoying writing in this style and setting. So expect at least a few more chapters of this. Thanks for all the feedback on the first chapter, I really appreciate it. As always, kudos, shares, and comments are much appreciated. Thanks again!
> 
> Follow me on twitter: @DARKROOMMAX


	3. Hitting the Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey Max,” Chloe slurred, her head lolling from side to side. Max sighed slightly, but couldn’t wipe the smile from her face.  
> “Yeah, babe?” She replied simply.  
> “I love youuu,” Chloe said with a smile. Max grinned to herself as the cab she had called pulled up in front of them.  
> “I love you too,”

**July 10th, 2017, 5:06 PM**

Chloe always knew something was wrong when Max slammed the door after coming home. Her fears were confirmed when Max retrieved a bottle of beer from the fridge, and sat down on the couch, her eyes red and puffy. Gingerly, Chloe sat down next to Max, putting an arm around her shoulders as Max took a swig from the bottle.

“Hey, Maxi, you ok?” She said gently, trying not to say anything that might upset Max even more. 

“You know that gallery I really like? The Howard Greenberg Gallery?” Max said, her voice wavering slightly.

“You’ve mentioned it a few times, yeah. Why?” Chloe asked, unable to hide the concern on her face as Max took another swig from the bottle.

“I tried submitting my portfolio but they just refused me right away! They looked at like two photos before giving me back my portfolio and telling me to beat it,” she continued, dabbing at her eyes with her t-shirt.

“Oh, Max…” Chloe muttered, pulling Max in closer. “They’re elitist assholes, don’t stress about it. There are a million other galleries who would kill to have your work.” Max rested her head on Chloe’s shoulder, still sniffling slightly.

“Yeah, I guess so… I think I’m gonna go lie down, if that’s okay. I didn’t sleep that well last night, I think that’s why I’m so upset,” she said quietly. Chloe looked skeptical but let go of Max, who smiled at her tearily. Chloe felt her heart break as she watched Max trudge off to their bedroom, but knew it was best to leave Max to sort herself out for a bit. She sighed before pulling out her phone and calling David.  _ Can’t believe I’m actually going to David for emotional support… I must be losing it,  _ Chloe thought to herself before he picked up.

“Hey sweetie! What’s up?” He asked, sounding slightly stressed.

“Hey dad, just wanted to talk. Look, Max is really upset, she tried submitting her photos to some pretentious gallery and they just straight up rejected her,” Chloe replied, trying her hardest to keep her tone calm.

“No shit! Told you New Yorkers were assholes,” he said, sounding proud of himself.

“Yeah, that’s what I told her. They don’t know what they’re missing out on. She’s so good and this is just gonna ruin her confidence, it’s bullshit!” Chloe almost shouted, clenching her fist.

“Yeah, I know,” David replied sadly. He seemed genuinely upset for Max.  _ Maybe he isn’t the worst person to offer emotional support. _ “How about that other gallery she told me about?”

“Oh, Benrubi? They’re considering her, we should hopefully know in like a week,” Chloe said, which seemed to raise David’s spirits.

“Cool! Fingers crossed, then!” David exclaimed, and Chloe couldn’t help but laugh.

“Yeah, we’re hopeful. How is it down there, you been hiding from the sun?” She asked teasingly, starting to calm down. David laughed on the other line.

“Nah, your old man doesn’t fear the heat.”

“If you say so, dad. Did you get that thing you were working on done?” 

“Yeah, those solar panels are finally up and running! You'll see them next time you come by,” David replied proudly.

“Sweet, good job. Any way we could see them on our way to Seattle?” Chloe asked. David paused for a second before answering.

“Uhhh, I don't know. Maybe if you drive down to Louisiana, or Texas,” he replied.

“Maybe Max could take a picture of them for one of her exhibits,” Chloe joked, causing David to chuckle on the other line.

“That’d be cool,” he said simply.

“Yeah, I’ll talk to her about it. It might be too far out of the way for us, I’m not sure,” Chloe said, surprised to find herself feeling genuinely remorseful at the idea of making her step-father upset. “Anyway, thanks for talking but I should probably go check on Max.”

“Yeah, gotcha. All right, take care then. Wish Max luck for me, okay? Bye bye, love ya!” David said, which made Chloe smile slightly.

“Alright, bye dad, love you,” she replied before hanging up, throwing her phone down onto the coffee table. After a second of mental preparation, Chloe stood up and headed for the door of the bedroom, which was ajar. She knocked twice just to make sure, and heard a muffled “Come in”. When she pushed open the door, she saw Max sitting at the top of the bed, hugging a pillow to her chest. Chloe couldn’t help but find it incredibly cute, but set that aside given the circumstances. 

“Hey Maxi, how you feeling?” She said gingerly, sitting across from Max on the bed. 

“Better. I was just thinking about what you said, about how a million other galleries would kill to have me… like Benrubi or Yossi Milo. It just helped me feel better, thinking about that,” Max said, hugging the pillow tighter as Chloe smiled softly.

“I’m glad, and it’s true, babe. Even David agrees, you’re too good for that Greenberg place,” she said, which made Max smile. 

“Yeah, you’re right. I can do fine without them,” she said defiantly. “What did you talk about with David?” 

“Nothing really, I just wanted to complain to him about those assholes, he said he got the solar panels up, and he wants us to have a look at them on our way to Seattle,” Chloe replied, but Max bit her lip nervously at the last part.

“I don’t know, Chloe, wouldn’t we have to go pretty far south to see them? That would probably add a lot of time to the drive, right?” She said cautiously, causing Chloe to sigh. 

“Yeah, it would. I’ll tell him we’ll have to miss it out, maybe another time, right?” Chloe asked, to which Max nodded. 

“Definitely. I bet they’d make for a great shot.”  _ Knew it,  _ Chloe thought. “I forgot to ask, did you remember to invite Tammi and the gang to the wedding?” Max asked.

“Yep, they said they were gonna put the tour on hold for a week to make sure they were free,” Chloe responded proudly. 

“Sweet! It’ll be good to see them again,” Max said happily, causing Chloe to smile. “It’s getting kinda late, should we order a pizza?” Max asked. Chloe’s eyes lit up.

“Now you’re speaking my language, babe. Large cheese and a meat feast?” She asked as she pulled out her phone. Max giggled softly.

“Large cheese and a meat feast,” she repeated, smiling as she watched Chloe dial the number for their favourite pizza place. As the phone rang, Max shifted so she was sitting next to Chloe rather than opposite her, and interlocked their fingers. Chloe squeezed Max’s hand in response as the smaller girl rested her head on Chloe’s shoulder again, only paying attention to the sound of Chloe’s voice and the way her thumb traced small circles on Max’s hand. 

  
**August 17th, 2017, 7:34 PM**

“Look, Chloe, I don’t know,” Max said nervously, kicking at a stray pebble on the sidewalk. “I just don’t feel great, I think I wanna go home,” she muttered. With a slightly frustrated sigh, Chloe grabbed Max’s arm, gently pulling her to the side of the bar they were standing outside of.

“Max, this is a big opportunity for me. These guys are blowing up, and they want  _ me  _ to tattoo the lead singer on stage. Think of the exposure I’ll get from that!” Max couldn’t look Chloe in the eyes as she spoke, instead focusing on the pattern of Chloe’s shoelaces.

“I know, but… I’m still not good with crowds. They just make me think of…” she started, but Chloe already knew what she was going to say.

“The Vortex Club party, I know. But I’m not gonna send you in there alone, I’ll be with you the whole time,” she said softly, grabbing Max’s hand. “I promise, you’ll be okay. Now c’mon, let’s go thrash.” Max finally smiled slightly as Chloe pulled her to the front line to get into the bar, causing people in the line to yell obscenities at them. The bouncer at the door held up a hand to Chloe. 

“You want in, you get in the line,” he grunted, but Chloe simply pulled out her ID with a smirk.

“I’m a VIP, Chloe Price? The band invited me,” she said smugly. The bouncer tapped his smaller friend on the shoulder, who was holding a list. The other bouncer scanned the list slowly, before nodding at the larger man, who opened the door for them. Chloe bowed at him mockingly. “Thank you, good sir,” she said in a faux English accent. Max stifled a laugh as she pushed Chloe in so as to not anger the bouncer. Inside the bar, rock music was blaring. There was a band on a small stage surrounded by cheering fans, some of which were pushing each other around, laughing. Chloe followed Max’s stare and laughed.

“I forgot you’ve never been to a rock show, they’re moshing,” Chloe explained, but Max still seemed confused.

“What’s the point?” She asked simply, to which Chloe laughed again.

“Who knows? It’s just fun to shove people,” she responded, squeezing Max’s hand. 

“Is that the band who invited you?” Max asked, pointing to the stage. Chloe shook her head with a smile.

“No, they’re the support act. You’ll recognise the ones who invited me, don’t worry,” she said cryptically. “C’mon, I’ll buy you a drink,” she said, leading Max to the corner of the bar where they served drinks. After quickly flashing her ID, Chloe ordered something that Max couldn’t hear over the music. When the drinks came out, Max had more questions than answers.

“What are those?” She asked, pointing to the drinks in Chloe’s hands. Chloe smiled evilly.

“Jägerbombs. There’s a shot glass with Jäger in the energy drink!” She said enthusiastically, offering one to Max, who looked at it skeptically.

“How do you drink it?” She asked again, feeling more like a 20 Questions machine than an actual person. 

“Down in one, Maxi!” Chloe responded, pushing the drink into Max’s hand. “C’mon, it’s fun and it’ll get you hammered,” she said, raising her glass expectantly.

“Are you sure you should be getting drunk before you tattoo someone?” Max asked slowly, but Chloe simply waved her hand.

“Don’t worry, I won’t get drunk since I have a tolerance,” she responded. Max raised her eyebrows at the blatant lie. “Okay my tolerance might not be great but it’s better than yours. Now come  _ on,  _ drink up, buttercup,” and with that, Chloe tilted her head back and emptied her glass, groaning slightly after she was done. Max sighed and looked at her glass, at the odd combination of the shot glass inside the regular glass. Finally, she raised her glass slightly, causing Chloe’s eyes to light up with joy.

“To the person who has to get tattooed by you, may they rest in peace,” she said teasingly. Chloe barely stifled a laugh as Max put the glass to her lips and tilted her head back, draining the glass. Instantly, her throat felt like it had been set on fire and her stomach didn’t feel much better. She set the empty glass down with a groan that the cheering Chloe seemed not to notice.

“Fuck yeah, go Max!” She yelled. Max couldn’t help but smile as she already felt her face start to burn up and her vision go slightly blurry. Suddenly, the music ringing throughout the bar stopped, and someone got on stage. 

“Uh, hello? Testing,” the man said, tapping the microphone, which caused feedback that made the entire bar yell out in anger. “Oh, sorry about that. Um, anyway, I’m here to introduce our next act,” he said, his voice slightly shaky. Chloe scoffed.

“First timer,” she said quietly, causing Max to laugh loudly.

“These guys have been blowing up recently, and now they’ve finally made it over here all the way from Seattle,” he continued. Max instantly felt goosebumps rise up on her arms.  _ A band from Seattle that specially invited Chloe to their gig… _ Slowly, Max turned to face Chloe, her eyes wide. Chloe was hiding her smile behind her hand, and nodded toward the stage. “So, without any further ado, I present, THE HIGH SEAS!” The entire bar erupted into applause and whistles as the band took the stage. Max almost didn’t recognise them after two years, but it only took a second for her to realise that it was definitely them.

“What’s up New York!?” Tammi yelled into the mic, drawing a big cheer from the crowd. “Alright, alright. I’m Tammi, this is Dex, Dwight, and Pixie,” she said, pointing to the green-haired keyboardist, bleach blonde guitarist, and hijab-wearing drummer respectively. Max turned to Chloe, who now grinned widely.

“Surprise,” she said simply.

“We’d like to dedicate this song to two very special people. They’re some of our earliest fans and closest friends, and they’re getting married in two months,” Tammi said into the microphone, causing the crowd to cheer again. Max turned bright red as a spotlight was shone on herself and Chloe, who wrapped an arm around Max’s waist. “Max, Chloe, this one’s for you,” Tammi said with a smile, before they launched into the song. The crowd was electric, everyone was jumping and singing along to the lyrics, including Max and Chloe. The band played a few more songs before the music stopped and Tammi grabbed the mic again, laughing at how ecstatic the crowd was.

“Alright, thank you guys. That’s our set, but before we go, we wanna do something special. Or, I wanna do something special,” she said with a smile, looking at Chloe. “I’d like to invite Chloe Price to the stage!” she yelled, causing the crowd to cheer wildly. Beaming with joy, Chloe gave Max a quick kiss on the forehead before hopping on stage, basking in the adulation of the crowd.

“‘Sup y’all?” She yelled, which made the crowd cheer again. “‘Sup Tammi,” she said casually, giving Tammi a fist bump.

“Hey Chloe. So, Paul, I believe I gave you some  _ supplies _ , right?” Tammi said, gesturing to someone off stage. A minute later, a chair and a cart were rolled on stage, the cart bearing a tattoo gun. As soon as the crowd realised what was happening, they exploded into cheers again, causing Tammi to laugh. “Chloe here designed our wonderful logo, so I thought it’d be good to get her to tattoo it on me while we’re in town,” she said into the mic before sitting down on the chair. Chloe fiddled with the tattoo gun, which Max found herself grinning at. Watching Chloe do what she loves was one of the things that always made Max happy, and this time was no different. Chloe was in her element, her tongue sticking out slightly as she prepared everything to tattoo Tammi. The entire crowd was screaming wildly as the gun whirred to life, and Chloe put the needle to Tammi’s upper arm. Tammi winced slightly, but it was almost like she fed off of the crowd’s energy as she amped herself up to deal with the pain. Max rummaged in her bag for her camera, eventually pulling it out and snapping a quick photo of Chloe admiring her half-finished tattoo. After about thirty minutes, she shouted “Voila!” and stepped back to reveal the simple but beautiful tattoo. The crowd cheered louder than they had before, chanting for Chloe and Tammi. After staring into the crowd for a minute, Chloe eventually met Max’s eyes, and gestured for her to come on stage. Max’s heart stopped for a second as she shook her head vigorously. Chloe rolled her eyes and hopped off the stage, yelling for people to “Make way, I gotta grab my fiancée.” When Chloe reached Max, the younger woman raised her eyebrows as a warning, but Chloe just shrugged and took Max by the hand, pulling her through the crowd and onto the stage.

“There she is! Max Caulfield, everybody!” Tammi yelled, which caused the crowd to erupt in cheers. “C’mon, let’s take a picture,” she said to Max, gesturing to Max’s bag. Sheepishly, Max retrieved her camera and pointed it towards herself as the rest of the band and Chloe got behind her. There was a flash, and the camera printed a polaroid of the group selfie. Chloe put her arm around Max as the crowd cheered for both the band and the two of them. Tammi took Max and Chloe’s hands and bowed, which Max and Chloe followed through with. As the rest of the band filed offstage, Tammi gestured for the couple to accompany them, a wide smile on her face. 

**  
** **August 17th, 2017, 10:47 PM**

“I thought you were gonna drop dead up there, Maxi,” Chloe yelled between belly laughs, her head resting on Max’s shoulder. Max rolled her eyes slightly but forced a smile at Chloe.

“I know babe, you’ve told me. But I was fine, remember?” She said slowly, making sure each of her words were clear. On the other side of the table, Tammi gave Max a look of concern as she pulled her jacket on.

“Are you gonna be able to get her home okay?” She asked, nodding her head towards Chloe, who was repeatedly spinning a penny on the table, giggling. Max sighed and grabbed the penny, which made Chloe cry out in disappointment.

“She was way more drunk than this after we got engaged, I’ll be fine. It was great seeing you guys again,” Max said brightly, helping Chloe out of the booth they were sitting in. Tammi smiled sweetly at Max.

“Thanks, it was fun seeing you two. None of us can wait for the wedding,” she said, to which Max groaned slightly.

“Tell me about it. Each day just feels longer than the last, it’s so nerve wracking,” she replied. Tammi laughed.

“Same feeling we get before we start a tour. It’ll be fine, you guys are totally perfect together. Plus, it’ll be nice to go home for a week,” she said, exhaustion plaguing the last few words. 

“Agreed. Anyway, you go join the others, I’ll call a cab for the drunk,” Max said with a smile as Tammi laughed again.

“Alright, good luck. See you later, Future Mrs. Price,” Tammi said with a wink before turning and walking towards the front door of the bar.

“Mrs. Price. It has a ring to it,” Max said to herself as she pulled her jacket on, leaving Chloe leaning against the wall. One phone call later, Max was helping Chloe walk outside.

“Hey Max,” Chloe slurred, her head lolling from side to side. Max sighed slightly, but couldn’t wipe the smile from her face.

“Yeah, babe?” She replied simply.

“I love youuu,” Chloe said with a smile. Max grinned to herself as the cab she had called pulled up in front of them.

“I love you too,” she whispered, opening the door of the cab.

  
**September 21st, 2017, 10:38 AM**

The first thing Max noticed when she woke up was the absence of Chloe at her side, which gave her a miniature heart attack until she remembered the date.  _ Shit, I’m the birthday girl,  _ she thought to herself with a goofy smile. The door to the bedroom was open slightly, and the smell of bacon wafting in from the kitchen was enough to keep Max in bed for a few extra minutes. That and the fact that Chloe was singing at the top of her lungs since she thought Max was still asleep. As Max looked around the room, her eyes fell on a small, wrapped up box at the foot of the bed. Instantly, she felt a twinge of guilt. For the last three years, Chloe had gotten Max a birthday present, even though Max was never able to return the favour on Chloe’s birthday. With a small sigh, Max dragged herself out of bed and into the kitchen, where she was met with Chloe’s rendition of the Happy Birthday song. After she was done shouting the lyrics, she kissed Max on the forehead gently.

“Happy birthday, Maxi,” she said, smiling widely. Max rolled her eyes but smiled nevertheless.

“Thanks babe. What’s my special birthday breakfast this year?” She asked, peering into the pan that Chloe was standing over.

“I figured I’d break out Mom’s old bacon omelette recipe since you always seemed to like those. It’s going alright… I think,” Chloe said cautiously, eyeing the egg in the pan. “Hold on, watch that for a second,” she said suddenly, handing Max the spatula she was holding before dashing off in the direction of the bedroom. Mentally preparing herself for the guilt that would come from opening the present that Chloe was no doubt retrieving, Max poked at the egg with the spatula, at a loss about what to do with it.  _ O, mighty Egg, reveal your secrets,  _ she thought to herself with a small smile as she poked the egg some more. Eventually, Chloe returned, holding something behind her back.

“Last time you hid something behind your back, we got engaged. Are we getting married here?” Max teased, which made Chloe cock an eyebrow with a smirk.

“Should we?” 

“No, I still think Seattle is our best bet,” Max said, causing Chloe to frown slightly before she remembered what she was doing with the present. Grinning widely, she presented the box that Max had seen on the bed. Max smiled somewhat sadly as she took the box, carefully removing the wrapping paper so as to not rip it, which caused Chloe to groan loudly.

“Oh my god, Maximus, just tear it,” she said suddenly, to which Max responded by removing the paper even slower. Chloe sighed and went back to the omelette in the pan, mumbling about “stupid hippies”. When Max finally got all the wrapping paper off, she was shocked to see the box for a brand new instant camera.

“Wow, Chloe, I… you-” she started, but Chloe cut her off quickly.

“Don’t even think about telling me I shouldn’t have. The best photographer in New York should have the best gear, right?” She asked with a wink. Max opened her mouth to argue, but Chloe shoved a plateful of omelette in front of her to shut her up, which ended up working.

“So, I cancelled all my appointments from now until November. That should give us enough time for a good honeymoon, right?” Chloe asked as she sat on the couch with a coffee. 

“I think so, we can always cut it short if we have to,” Max responded quietly, paying more attention to her new camera than to Chloe’s question. “Am I allowed to ask how much this cost?” Max asked, pointing the camera at Chloe.

“Nope, nice try though,” she replied, sticking her middle finger out at the camera as Max snapped the photo. “That’s one for the wedding album,” Chloe teased, causing Max to laugh.

“As if, this is for my personal collection.”

**October 1st, 2017, 8:56 AM**

“Alright Maxi, let’s go!” Chloe yelled, beeping the horn of her truck as she watched Max slowly walk out of the lobby of their apartment building with a backpack slung over her shoulder. There was a distinct  _ thunk  _ as Max threw the backpack into the bed of the truck which made Chloe wince slightly. “Jesus, what’s in that thing?” She asked as Max climbed into the passenger seat of the truck, sweating slightly. 

“Not a lot, just a couple books,” she said airily, focusing more on buckling her seatbelt. Chloe looked at Max in disbelief for a second before just shaking her head with a sigh.

“Sometimes I wonder how we ended up together,” Chloe muttered. Max laughed as she rummaged in her handbag for her camera.

“Because I’m not a total dork and you’re not a total hardass. We complement each other,” she said, flashing a smile at her fiancée, who simply rolled her eyes. “Ah! Here it is,” Max exclaimed as she pulled her new camera from the depths of her bag. As Chloe started the engine of the truck, Max snapped a quick photo and carefully placed it in her bag. 

“Wedding album?” Chloe asked simply.

“Wedding album,” Max replied as the engine rumbled to life. Chloe pulled out her phone and looked at the GPS, mumbling to herself for a few seconds.

“Okay,” she said, clearly talking to Max now rather than herself. “It’s pretty much a straight shot from here to Seattle once we get off the island, should take like seven days including stopping to sleep and shit like that,” she said. Max nodded with every word, mentally preparing herself for the long trip ahead, but also trying not to scream with joy at the fact her wedding was so close. Almost as if she read her mind, Chloe reached for Max’s hand, their fingers interlocking as Chloe smiled warmly.

“10 days, Mrs. Price,” she said, which made Max raise an eyebrow slightly.

“10 days, Mrs. Caulfield,” she retorted, causing Chloe’s eyes to widen.

“Oh yeah, shit we need to figure that out,” Chloe muttered as Max laughed.

\---

Most of the trip was very peaceful for Max. Nice, long stretches of road, both rural and urban, where the couple could just listen to music and exist together. The places they stayed for the night weren’t much to write home about, but Max knew it was better than sleeping in the truck all night. However, on the fifth day of the trip, after Max had been asleep for most of the day thus far, Chloe nudged her awake gently.

“Hey, I think we should get out for a bit,” she whispered, pointing to a rotting sign in front of them.

_ “You are now entering Arcadia Bay!” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! If I'm being honest, I really struggled with this chapter. I went through probably 5 different versions before settling on this one, and I'm still not sure how happy I am with this version. I'm going to include a link to a pastebin of the original version of this chapter, since I'm actually quite happy with it but it was presenting plot-related problems to me. Anyway, I'm chipping away at chapter 4 currently, I think I'll post a one-shot I've been working on before that though. As always, kudos, comments, and shares are appreciated!  
> Follow me on twitter: @DARKROOMMAX  
> Pastebin: https://pastebin.com/6Z0HfytZ


	4. Arcadia Bay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You okay?” Chloe’s voice sounded hollow and distant, even though she was standing right behind Max, who sighed as she opened her eyes, her eyes fixated on the sun dipping below the horizon in front of them.
> 
> “I think so. I just miss them,” she replied quietly.

**October 5th, 2017, 1:39 PM**

Max’s entire body felt numb as she read the sign over and over again.  _ Arcadia Bay.  _ There was a feeling in the pit of her stomach that was somewhere between terror and grief, bubbling like a volcano about to erupt. As the truck’s engine stopped rumbling, Chloe looked at Max cautiously.

“Are you gonna be okay?” She asked gingerly. Max closed her eyes again, breathing deeply.

“I think so…” She replied quietly. Although Chloe didn’t look convinced, she knew it was the best she was going to get out of Max.

“C’mon, let’s go for a walk,” Chloe said softly, opening the door of the truck and hopping out. Max followed a few seconds later, her eyes still fixed on the sign. “Hey, there’s something at the sign,” Chloe said as she walked closer to the sign with Max not far behind. At the base of the sign, there was a small plaque.

_ “On October 11th, 2013, a horrific storm tore through the small fishing town of Arcadia Bay, destroying everything in its path. The prestigious Prescott family’s own Nathan Prescott is thought to have perished in the storm, along with roughly 2,500 other residents. The Prescott family has made the decision not to develop any property on this land, instead leaving it as a reminder to the destructive force of Mother Nature. If you wish to pay your respects to the lost, there is a memorial at the former site of Blackwell Academy.”  _

Max read the sign out loud, her eyes stinging with tears. Chloe shook her head, stepping back slightly.

“God, those bastards always have to make it about themselves. Look, Max, we don’t have to do this. I wanted to bring you here to get closure, I guess, but I know how fucking dumb that is now. We can just turn around if you-”

“No, I… I think I need this,” Max muttered. Her legs felt like lead as she walked past the sign into what remained of Arcadia Bay. The Prescotts had been true to their word, they had somehow resisted the urge to rebuild anything, so nature had taken over. Overgrown grass lined the cracked and bumpy road through the town, leaves covered the ground like a crunchy sort of blanket. All the buildings, all the houses that once held innocent families were now shells, missing roofs and doors, windows shattered. The road signs that remained were twisted and mangled, bent at angles that made them almost impossible to read. Max felt a piece of her heart break when she looked up at the cliff overlooking Arcadia Bay to see what remained of the lighthouse, its top half torn off by the storm. Chloe took Max’s hand in her own, interlocking their fingers tightly. Together, they walked down what used to be the main street of Arcadia Bay, which was now nothing more than a reminder of all the death and destruction that Max felt she had caused. After about ten minutes of walking silently, Chloe suddenly froze, which made Max stumble slightly. Chloe’s eyes were wide open and her face had lost all colour, like she had just seen a ghost.

“Max,” she breathed. Max followed her stare and found what Chloe had seen. The sign for the Two Whales Diner, leaning at a 45° angle. The outside of the diner didn’t look too badly damaged, except for the shattered windows and overgrowth of flora. From what little Max could see of the inside, the outside seemed to have fared better in the storm. Max squeezed Chloe’s hand, looking at her fiancée sadly.

“Chloe, I-”

“I need to go in,” Chloe said suddenly before she started speed walking towards the shell of the Two Whales, almost pulling Max behind her.

“Chloe, I really don’t-” Max started, but she instantly closed her mouth when Chloe whipped around angrily.

“What? You don’t think I should confront this shit? I  _ need  _ this, Max,” she said, her face contorted with a mixture of indignation and anguish. Max stepped back in surprise, but Chloe simply kept walking towards the diner, letting go of Max’s hand as she stomped forward. Max was frozen with shock for a moment, but she soon brought herself back to Earth and jogged after Chloe.

“Please, Chloe, I don’t think this will help,” she begged, but Chloe ignored her, shoving open the door to the diner. All around the remains of the diner there were upturned stools and tables, destroyed shelving lined the back wall, and broken glass littered the floor. Slowly, Chloe walked around the diner until she was behind the counter, alone. Max watched in silent fear as Chloe leaned on the counter with her elbows, putting her face in her hands. Then, for the first time since they had left Arcadia Bay, Chloe sobbed. Immediately, Max rushed to her side, pulling her into a tight hug. Both women sunk to the floor together, Max silently thanking the gods that the bar had acted as a barrier for the broken glass. Chloe buried her head in Max’s chest, almost screaming in agony, a sound Max hadn’t heard since they found Rachel’s body almost four years ago. They sat together, on the floor, cradling each other for what felt like hours to Max. 

“I miss her, M-Max,” Chloe sobbed into Max’s collarbone, her hand gripped tightly around Max’s shirt. Gently, Max ran her fingers through Chloe’s hair, silently shedding her own tears. “I miss mom, I miss dad, I miss R-Rachel, I even miss fucking Frank. I h-hate that they had to… had to die just so we could be happy.” Each of Chloe’s words were punctuated with a sob that cut Max to her core. It was as if all the heartbreak and grief that they had both experienced in the last four years had finally reached a boiling point, and it was spilling out of Chloe all at once. As Chloe cried, Max ran her hand up and down the taller woman’s back gently, trying her best to soothe her as much as possible.

“She’s proud of you, Chloe, I know she is. So is your dad, so is Rachel, and I’m sure Frank is drinking to you right now. You just…” Max’s voice caught in her throat. Here she was, trying to lecture her fiancée in her moment of extreme grief. Instead of saying anything, she held Chloe tighter, her heart breaking with each of Chloe’s pained sobs. “God… I’m sorry, Chloe. It’s my fault, it should’ve been me,” she said quietly, her lips pressed to Chloe’s temple.

“N-no. Don’t say that, please. W-we agreed you wouldn’t s-say shit like that, remember?” Chloe asked, trying and failing to keep her voice steady. Max shook her head slightly.

“But it’s true. I caused this. And sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice, if you’d be happier without me but with your mom, or without even knowing I came back…” Her voice trailed off grimly, which made Chloe finally sit up to look at Max, her eyes were bloodshot and still leaking tears but her expression was serious regardless.

“Max, you’re m-my number one priority, you’re everything to me. I’d rather be right here, with you, than anywhere else in the entire world,” she said, finally able to speak clearly. “Even if it meant… everything that happened had to happen… it was all worth it. Because I can’t live without you, Max.” Despite everything that had occurred in just the last few minutes, Max couldn’t help but smile sadly at Chloe’s words.

“I just wish there was some way for us to be together without… all this,” Max shook her head as she spoke, avoiding Chloe’s eyes. “I wish Joyce could see you next week.” Max mumbled the last words, which made Chloe wince slightly.

“Yeah, it’ll be weird without her. I always told her I’d never get married, and now… she doesn’t even get to see it actually happen,” she muttered, leaning her back against the counter and pulling her knees to her chest with a sigh. 

“We should go, I think it’d be good to see what they did to Blackwell,” Max said after a short silence, relief washing over her when Chloe nodded silently. With a small groan, Max made her way to her feet and held out a hand to the still floorbound Chloe, who wiped her eyes. 

“Hopefully they just turned it to ash,” she muttered bitterly, grasping Max’s hand and getting pulled to her feet. Together, the couple exited the totaled diner, a twinge of sadness running through Max’s heart as she watched Chloe take one last look at the wreck of what used to be a constant in her life. They walked hand-in-hand for almost an hour, in silent awe of the level of destruction that the storm had caused. Each house, each building, had housed someone. Someone who was dead now… who’s been dead for years… Max shuddered at the thought, trying her best to push it to the back of her mind. Every couple minutes, Max would glance up at Chloe, afraid of another outburst. The sound of Chloe’s wails were still fresh in her mind even as they walked up to the red brick ruins that used to be Blackwell Academy. Max couldn’t help but be taken aback by the state of her old school, the school she had dreamed of going to when she was young, the school where she had met some of her favourite people ever, the school full of people that she sacrificed all for Chloe…

“C’mon, let’s go see how the Prescotts have spun this,” Chloe said, unable to hide the venom in her voice. With a deep breath, Max trudged towards the middle of the campus, where a massive, black slab of stone with names carved into it stood ominously. There must have been thousands of names, all in alphabetical order. Chloe squeezed Max’s hand gently when she noticed how much the brunette was shaking.

“You sure you’re gonna be ok?” She asked quietly. Max’s eyes stayed fixed on the memorial as she nodded. Together, they approached it, stopping just a couple feet away. There was a short message etched into the top of the memorial. 

_ “Dedicated to those lost in the Arcadia Bay Storm, you live forever in our hearts.” _

Instantly, Max picked a few names out of the list of thousands.  _ Frank Bowers, Taylor Christensen, Warren Graham, Kate Marsh, Joyce Price, Brooke Scott, Dana Ward, Juliet Watson, Raymond Wells.  _ Behind her, Max heard Chloe gasp.

“Max, look,” she whispered, pointing to a smaller inscription slightly below the main body of the memorial. Slowly, Max kneeled down and read the inscription.

_ Presumed Dead: Rachel Amber, Max Caulfield, Victoria Chase, Mark Jefferson, David Madsen, Nathan Prescott, Chloe Price.  _ Max immediately felt lightheaded as she read her and Chloe’s names.  _ “Presumed Dead.”  _ It made some sense, the only person who knew they were alive was David, and even if somebody had heard of Max through her work in New York, she doubted that this memorial was updated regularly, if at all. Max turned away from the memorial, breathing deeply. Chloe still seemed transfixed by the “Presumed Dead” section, her eyes flicking from her own name, to Max’s, to David’s, to Rachel’s. Max sat on the steps that lead to what used to be the main door to Blackwell, her eyes shut tightly. All this death, because of her, because she wanted to save Chloe. It was Max’s fault that Joyce couldn’t attend their wedding, Max’s fault that Kate couldn’t be one of her bridesmaids, Max’s fault that David couldn’t be with his wife at his step-daughter’s wedding. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder that made her jump in shock.

“You okay?” Chloe’s voice sounded hollow and distant, even though she was standing right behind Max, who sighed as she opened her eyes, her eyes fixated on the sun dipping below the horizon in front of them.

“I think so. I just miss them,” she replied quietly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chloe sit down next to her, pushing a stray lock of her pale green hair behind her ear.

“I know… I wish they could all be at the wedding. But it’ll be fine… we’ll be fine,” she whispered. Gingerly, she wrapped her arm around Max’s shoulders and pulled her closer. With a sigh, Max put her head on Chloe’s shoulder, closing her eyes again. Chloe rested her head against Max’s and both women fell silent, content just to listen to the birds chirping in the overgrown trees and the squirrels scuttering through the untamed bushes. 

“We should get going, Maxi,” Chloe eventually whispered after glancing at her watch. “Unless you wanna spend the night in the pool again.” With a sigh, Max straightened up, a small smile on her lips.

“I’ve had my fill of being a Blackwell Otter for a lifetime, I’ll pass,” she said, standing up with Chloe’s help. “Plus, I’m starving. Need cheap motel food now.” 

“Seconded. Wouldn’t say no to a couple beers, either,” Chloe replied, rubbing her eyes with a small yawn. “Way too many emotions today,” she said with a somewhat subdued smile. Max interlocked her fingers with Chloe’s, her eyelids already feeling heavy.

“I think I’m glad we stopped here,” she said quietly. Chloe was silent for a while, to the point where Max wondered if Chloe hadn’t heard what she said.

“Yeah… me too. We both needed to figure shit out,” she replied, her voice distant again. Max squeezed her hand gently, relieved when Chloe returned the gesture.

An hour of walking later, both girls clambered into Chloe’s rusty old truck, slightly exhausted. Almost immediately, Max leaned her head on the window, closing her eyes with a sigh as the last slivers of sunlight hit her eyelids.

“How far is the motel?” She asked as Chloe laughed softly.

“About an hour. Get some rest, babe, you deserve it.” Before Chloe was even done speaking, Max felt herself drifting off. 

“Okay… love you, Chloe,” she muttered. By the time Chloe responded, Max was already asleep.

“I love you too, Maxi…”

  
**October 6th, 2017, 5:52 PM**

Even though she and Chloe had left for New York almost three whole years ago, Max was surprised by how emotional her parents were when the couple pulled up to the modest, suburban home. As soon as she stepped out of the truck, she was almost brought to the ground by her mother enveloping her in a tight hug while her father stood back, laughing. 

“Mom, you’re gonna kill me,” Max choked out, unable to wipe the smile off her face as she wrapped her arms around her mother, who was sniffling frequently.

“Sorry, sweetie, I just… we missed you!” Vanessa Caulfield almost cried, letting go of her daughter with a teary smile. Out of the corner of her eye, Max watched her father give Chloe a casual fistbump, and had to fight the urge to burst out laughing. “How have you been? How was the drive?” Vanessa asked, finally letting go of Max to pull Chloe into a hug.

“Long, tedious, boring, etcetera,” Chloe said, somewhat begrudgingly returning Vanessa’s hug.

“I bet, every time we’ve done that drive it’s been torture,” Ryan Caulfield said gruffly, finally stepping forward to pull his daughter into a hug. “At least you guys had each other to stay sane, right?” He asked with a wink at Max, who coughed violently.

“Believe me, Ryan, Sleeping Beauty over there wasn’t much help. I love her to death, but I had to talk to myself most of the time,” Chloe said teasingly, causing Ryan to laugh. Eventually, Vanessa found it in herself to release Chloe, and smiled warmly at the couple.

“I’ll meet you guys inside, dinner’s almost ready! ” She said happily, turning towards the front door of the house. “Ryan, help the girls with their bags,” she finished, somewhat sternly, which made the burly outdoorsman sigh.

“Always leaving the man with the hard jobs,” he said, earning a soft punch in the arm from Max.

“Hey, we could always just do it ourselves!” She said, barely stifling laughter.

“Yeah, I know, I just like spending time with you two,” Ryan replied, shouldering a duffel bag that was almost overflowing with clothes. “Oh, I think I should tell you guys something before we go in. Chloe, your dad got here last night, and... he brought someone. Mom wanted to keep it a secret, but I feel like it might be a good idea just to let you know now,” he said in a low voice, causing Chloe and Max to look at each other with concern.

“Uh, yeah, he said he would bring someone. Should we be worried?” Chloe replied cautiously, but Ryan held a finger to his lips as he lifted up a box with “Wedding Shit” scrawled on it, a small smile creeping onto his face as he turned towards the front door of the Caulfield house. With a sigh, Chloe grabbed a suitcase from the back of the truck as Max fidgeted nervously. Once Ryan was out of earshot, Max grabbed Chloe by the arm, her eyes wide with concern.

“Chloe, I know my dad, he doesn’t keep little secrets. This has to be something  _ big. _ Maybe it’s someone from Arcadia Bay?” She said hurriedly, but Chloe shook her head sadly.

“No chance, Maxi. It’s probably just someone cool he met on the road. Someone who helped with his solar panel thing, I don’t know.” As she spoke, she picked up a backpack and slung it over her shoulder. “It’ll be fine, David wouldn’t fuck with us like that,” she added softly, planting a kiss on Max’s forehead before following Ryan up to the house. 

“Shit,” Max muttered, picking up her handbag and backpack before jogging to catch up with Chloe. When both girls were at the door with Ryan, the older man put his hand on the doorknob hesitantly, running a hand through his thick beard. With a sigh, he pushed the door open and stepped inside, closely followed by Max and Chloe. As soon as she stepped inside, Max almost dropped the backpack in shock. There, standing in the hallway, chatting with Vanessa and David, was Victoria Chase. Alive and well, looking better than she had ever looked at Blackwell. She had grown out her hair so it now reached her shoulders, her eyes shone with life and happiness, she had even changed her style from expensive designer clothes to a more quaint and affordable outfit. When David saw the couple walk in, he waved happily and nudged Victoria, whose eyes lit up as soon as she spotted the bewildered pair.

“Max! Chloe! Oh my god, it’s been so long! We  _ have  _ to catch up, come!” She said enthusiastically, gesturing towards the dinner table. Slowly, Max and Chloe turned towards each other, at a complete loss for words as Victoria began setting down silverware at the table.

“Max,” Chloe finally muttered, her eyes flicking to Victoria and then back to her fiancée. “I’m not tripping, am I?” She whispered slowly. Max shook her head, which felt lighter than a balloon.

“I don’t think so. I think David actually found Victoria.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Sorry it took so long to get this out, I got sidetracked with other projects and such. Next chapter is gonna be the last for this story, so make sure to keep an eye out for that! Before that comes out, I'll probably start another short multi-chapter fic. As always, kudos, shares, comments, etc. are appreciated!
> 
> Twitter: @DARKROOMMAX


	5. Look At Us, We're In Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So, Max, I promise to always love you until the day I die, to grow and become better with you, to always be your partner in time.”

**October 6th, 2017, 6:08 PM**

The mood around the dinner table was strained to say the least. At least, it felt tense to Max and Chloe, who kept exchanging worried glances over their plates loaded with food they had barely touched. Every now and then, Max would catch David look over at her, his expression a mixture of concern and subdued pride. However, at the other end of the table, the mood couldn’t be lighter. Vanessa and Ryan Caulfield were laughing heartily as they relished the meal in front of them. At the head of the table, sitting directly opposite from Max, Victoria was smiling warmly at Vanessa, articulating whatever point she had just made with expressive hand gestures that really seemed to tickle Ryan as he choked back laughter. 

“Oh my god, Victoria, I can’t believe Max never mentioned you,” Vanessa said brightly, dabbing at the corner of her eye with the tablecloth. “Maxine, is it true that you outshined Victoria in class?” These words seemed to trigger something within Chloe as she suddenly slammed her silverware down on the table, causing a tense silence to fill the once lively dining room. After a second of this shocked silence, Chloe turned her head towards David, gritting her teeth.

“Dad, a word?” She growled. At once, David’s barely suppressed smile was replaced by a stoney grimace as he nodded shortly.

“Excuse us,” David said, standing up from the table, followed closely by Chloe, who grabbed Max by the arm lightly. With one last worried glance towards her father, Max stood up, almost being dragged to the entrance hall of the house by Chloe, with David in tow. 

“What. The. FUCK?!” Chloe almost shouted, each word punctuated by a stomp towards the front door, where she stopped and let go of both Max and David. There was a rage in her eyes that Max hadn’t seen in a long time, not since they had moved away to New York, and it was fully directed at David. The usual cheeriness that David often showed towards Max and Chloe was replaced by a steely glare at his step-daughter. As the two of them stared daggers into each other, Max stood in the middle of them, desperately wishing she could just vanish.

“Why wouldn’t you tell us you found  _ her?  _ We thought she was dead, dad, and now you just bring her here with  _ no fucking warning  _ and expect us to be fine? You expect  _ Max  _ to be fine?!” Chloe finally yelled, as Max pressed her arms against her own body tightly, trying to make herself as small as possible.

“I was trying to make sure it was a surprise for the two of you!” David retorted, his eyes glued to Chloe’s. “But yeah, I’m the bad guy for-”

“THIS ISN’T ABOUT YOU!” Chloe screamed, startling Max slightly. Even David raised his eyebrows in shock. “David - dad - we stopped in Arcadia Bay on our way here. You know what we saw? We saw the diner torn to fucking shreds, we saw a ghost town, we saw  _ all  _ of our names on a plaque saying we were ‘presumed dead’. So how the  _ fuck  _ did you think this surprise would go over well?” With each rage-fuelled word, Chloe stepped closer to David, eventually coming nose-to-nose with her step-father.

“I figured Max would appreciate-” David started, but Chloe quickly cut him off with a frustrated groan.

“Oh my god, she has PTSD, dad! She wakes up crying in the middle of the night because of all the bullshit she had to deal with that week! And you know who’s there for her?  _ Me.  _ Because I fucking love her. Victoria doesn’t reach out and ask how she’s doing,  _ I  _ sit with her for hours until she can actually sleep!” Chloe was shaking with anger as she almost screamed in David’s face, but the older man stood his ground, seeming completely unfazed. Eventually, Max put a hand on Chloe’s arm, trying to pull her away from David.

“Chloe, it’s fine, really,” Max pleaded, but Chloe wouldn’t budge, she was glaring at David with a hatred that had become unfamiliar to Max. After a tense silence that lasted only a couple seconds, David cleared his throat, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“To tell the truth, me and Ms. Chase have been talking on and off for years. After I helped her out of that bunker, she moved up here to take over her family’s gallery,” he said, his voice surprisingly calm, which didn’t stop Chloe from staring daggers into him. “She would send a letter or a text every few months, checking up on me and letting me know how she was doing. She always asked about you two,” he added, his voice low. There was a weighty pause, during which Chloe stepped back a bit, her cheeks glowing pink.

“Oh, right…” she murmured, her eyes fixed on a spot just above David’s head.

“When you guys told me the news, I figured it would be a perfect time for you to see her again. She was so excited when I invited her, you know. She wouldn’t stop talking about how much she wanted to see both of you, how happy she was for you,” David continued, looking from the slightly flustered Max to the now highly embarrassed Chloe. “So yes, I did think it was a good idea. I thought you would appreciate that you now have someone else who  _ knows  _ what we all went through. Now can we  _ please  _ go back in there and apologise for the scene we made?” He said, a warning tone in his voice. Chloe nodded gently, a grimace on her face. Gingerly, Max interlocked her finger’s with Chloe, flashing a sympathetic smile at the taller woman, who sighed heavily.

“Alright, time to face the music,” she said, more to herself than to Max or David. “Sorry for, uh, screaming at you, by the way,” she muttered to David, who just shook his head with a sigh. Still holding Max’s hand tightly, Chloe began the walk of shame towards the dining room. With a deep breath, Chloe pushed open the door separating the dining room and the entranceway, and the trio were met with the hum of idle chatter between the three remaining people at the table. However, as soon as they stepped into the room, the conversation came to an abrupt end.

“So, uh, sorry about all that,” Chloe said, forcing that familiar confidence back into her voice. Even though Max could tell that this conviction was a farce, it seemed to work well enough for everyone else, as Vanessa waved her hand with a dismissive smile.

“It’s fine, we know it’s a big change. Victoria was just talking about how excited she is for the big day!” She said happily, which made Victoria’s cheeks glow a soft pink. Max felt a newfound appreciation for Victoria as she sat back down at the table in front of her now cold meal. That bitchy, gossipy girl from Blackwell was almost unrecognisable, just through her actions. She was softer now. Happier, even. Max could see it in the way she laughed along with the bad jokes her parents were telling, how willing she was to poke fun at the person she used to be. After Max, Chloe, and David had finished their meals and the pudding Vanessa made had been devoured, Ryan clapped his hands together, a wide smile plastered on his face.

“Alright, who’s up for a quick game of pool?” He asked, unable to hide the excitement in his voice. Vanessa rolled her eyes with a small smile.

“You just want to show off your little pet project,” she said teasingly, which made David laugh heartily.

“Nothing wrong with that, Mrs. Caulfield. Besides, I’m never one to turn down a game of pool,” he said happily, that warm glow back in his eyes. However, as everyone started to stand up from the table, Victoria cleared her throat shortly.

“Um, I was wondering if Maxin - sorry - Max and I would be excused. I think we need to catch up a bit, right?” She asked, smiling at Max, who was slightly taken aback by this proposal.

“Oh, yeah, sure,” she said, somewhat nervously. Almost immediately, Chloe met Max’s eyes, her eyebrows raised in concern. Max nodded shortly, which seemed to set Chloe at ease a bit. As soon as Max agreed to this excursion, Victoria smiled brightly, waltzing over to Max with a small hop.

“Great! We’ll be back soon, ciao!” She said happily, taking Max by the wrist and practically dragging her from the dining room. The last thing Max saw before the door closed behind them was Chloe biting her lip nervously, her electric blue eyes wide with concern. 

  
**October 6th, 2017, 6:52 PM**

If there was one thing that Max never expected from Victoria, it was for her to be speechless. For the first time since Max had first said “hello” to Victoria in Mr. Jefferson’s class all those years ago, Victoria had nothing to say. No witty remarks, no sarcastic or mean-spirited jokes, just silence. An awful, poignant silence that seemed to last forever. The two women simply walked together, not daring to look at each other. 

“So, uh,” Max muttered finally, breaking the torturous silence. “What have you been up to for the last few years?” She asked quietly, sneaking a glance at Victoria, who was fidgeting nervously. In the back of her mind, Max couldn’t help but find this slightly amusing. Victoria Chase, the queen of the Vortex Club, who always thought one step and five insults ahead, was anxiously twiddling her thumbs in silence. 

“Well, after my parents… y’know,” she trailed off sadly, sending a jolt of pain through Max’s heart. “I came back here to run the gallery. I thought I’d have it all under control but… it’s been hard,” she whispered with a sigh. Instantly, any sense of humour that Max found in this situation evaporated as she watched this shell of the Victoria she once knew. Cautiously, she put a hand on Victoria’s shoulder, smiling sympathetically.

“Yeah, I realised all the stuff Mr. Jefferson taught us isn’t worth shit in the real world a couple years ago,” she said, desperate to lighten the mood. However, these words sent a shiver through Victoria’s body that only tore at Max’s heart more.

“God… sorry, I just,” Victoria stuttered after a moment, rubbing at her eyes. “I’m not used to hearing his name. My therapist and I, we have a code word for him,” she explained, breathing heavily.

“Oh, Victoria, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise it was that bad,” Max said sadly, dropping her hand from Victoria’s shoulder and instead focusing on the sidewalk in front of her, illuminated by the slightly dim streetlamps. She had never even considered how fractured Victoria’s mental state would have been after everything she went through with Mr. Jefferson and the dark room. At least Max had some agency in escaping and apprehending him, but Victoria had put all of her trust into him only to be betrayed so horrifically. There was a long, tense silence between the two women, only broken by the chirping crickets and passing cars.

“I’m better than I used to be,” Victoria said finally, her voice barely more than a breath. “When I started therapy, I couldn’t even look at my camera without having an episode. My therapist said I was one of the worst PTSD cases she’d ever seen,” she said, actually chuckling softly, but the laugh was hollow and short. Not like the laughter Max remembered from Victoria. The coldness of this sound sent a chill down Max’s spine. 

“Victoria… are you sure you’re-” Max started, before Victoria made a noise somewhere between a scoff and a shout.

“I’m fine, Maxine,” she snapped. Almost immediately, she seemed taken aback by her own words. “Oh, Max, I’m sorry, I…” she whispered apologetically, her eyes fixed on her perfectly polished shoes. After a minute of walking in silence, Victoria stopped suddenly, her gaze still locked on the cracks in the sidewalk. A few paces ahead, Max watched as a single tear fell from Victoria’s cheek onto her shoe.

“No, you’re not okay,” Max said somewhat firmly, walking over to the still woman. “Please, Victoria, you need to talk through this,” she insisted, her tone softening as Victoria slowly sat herself down on the curb, her head in her hands. 

“I still have nightmares about him,” she muttered after a few seconds. Gingerly, Max set herself down next to Victoria, her eyes flicking from a centipede crawling along the bumpy road to the broken woman on her left. “When I wake up sometimes, I think I’m still in that fucking bunker. I think I’m gonna look up and see him leering at me with a camera…” Victoria continued, her voice scratchy. “I actually thought I was gonna die in there, before David found me. God, you have no idea, Max. It was the scariest thing that’s ever happened to me,” she muttered. A wave of shock rolled through Max’s brain at these words.  _ “You have no idea.” _ Quickly, the shock was replaced by anger, as Victoria made  _ both  _ of their ordeals all about herself, and then just as quickly, the anger turned to a stunning realisation. 

“Yeah, I can’t imagine…” Max said slowly, as a lightbulb gradually flickered to life inside her head. From Victoria’s point of view, Max had never been in the dark room. Max hadn’t even been at the Vortex Club party, she and Chloe had left to warn David before they had the chance to go in. At least, for the second time. But as Max looked over at the husk of the Victoria she once knew, the cocky queen bee now reduced to a complete emotional wreck, words started spilling out of her mouth that she was unable to stop.

“No, Victoria, I know. I was in there with him, too,” Max blurted out, to which Victoria simply responded with an incredulous stare.

“What? I don’t know how you would even-” she started after a moment, but she couldn’t seem to finish her own thought, which Max took as an opportunity to explain herself.

“This is gonna sound kinda ridiculous, but for a few days before the storm, I was able to rewind time,” Max paused just long enough for Victoria’s eyes to widen in bewilderment. “I went to that last Vortex Club party with Chloe because we thought Nathan was the one to look out for, but he was already dead by then. I tried to warn you about Nathan and then I got a text from Nathan’s number telling us to go to the junkyard. So Chloe and I got there and…” Max’s voice caught in her throat as that image flashed in her mind again. Chloe falling backwards into a makeshift grave, a bullet hole in her forehead. She shivered at the thought, desperately thinking of anything to replace the horrible mental image. As Max spoke, Victoria barely breathed, she just looked at the brunette in pure shock. 

“Maxine, nothing you’re saying is making sense. How in the hell can you-?” She started, before Max cut her off with a heavy sigh. 

“No, Vic, I swear it’s true. He took me to the dark room, I saw you in there, he drugged me and took those creepy fucking pictures of me. There was nothing I could do to stop him. But he let his guard down and I was able to rewind back to the Vortex Club party, and I told Chloe and David about the dark room and  _ that’s  _ why David found you,” Max finished finally, her face bright red as she forgot to breathe between words. For almost a minute, the street was dead silent, as Victoria processed the seemingly absurd story, her head in her hands. Eventually, Victoria looked up from the asphalt road and into Max’s pale blue eyes, almost studying the nervous young woman, looking for a sign that the story was bullshit. 

“So… can you still do it? Like, the time stuff?” Victoria asked slowly, her voice low. Max sighed in relief as Victoria’s tone became more trusting.

“I don’t think so, it hasn’t happened since the storm,” she replied quietly, kicking at a small pebble at her feet. A silence fell between them for another moment, before, to Max’s surprise, Victoria chuckled softly, her laughter finally sounding warmer.

“That means you saved me. After all the shit I did to you…” she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. As soon as the words left Victoria’s mouth, a strong feeling of guilt bubbled in the pit of Max’s stomach as tears started to well in her eyes.  _ It also means your parents are dead because of me, and all your friends, and Joyce…  _ Max sighed heavily, covering her face with her hands.

“Victoria, I…” she started, before biting her lip nervously. There was no telling how Victoria would react to learning that it was Max herself that caused the storm, that it was Max’s fault their lives had been turned upside down so suddenly. She might be understanding, but there was every chance she would go back to hating Max’s guts, maybe even walk out on the wedding.

“You okay, Max?” Victoria asked, her voice uncharacteristically soft and sympathetic. At the sound of Victoria’s voice, Max shook herself back to reality, trying to wipe at her eyes in as inconspicuous a way as possible.

“I’m fine. Maybe we should head back, it’s getting cold,” she said, trying to keep her voice from faltering. If this sudden change of attitude startled Victoria, she didn’t show it. Instead, she simply nodded and got to her feet, offering a hand to Max, who graciously accepted the help.

“I guess this whole thing stays between us, right?” Victoria asked, pulling the smaller girl to her feet. 

“Chloe is the only other person that knows, so keep it between the three of us,” Max replied quietly. With a short nod, Victoria set off in the direction of the Caulfield house, with Max trailing a few paces behind, still fidgeting nervously. 

  
**October 9th, 2017, 1:38 PM**

With a small grunt, Max pulled a relatively simple white dress up her body, sticking her arms into the light, satiny sleeves. On the other side of the small divider, Vanessa Caulfield was waiting with bated breath on Max’s bed, each glimpse of her daughter’s head poking out from the top of the divider making her inhale sharply. It had taken a good bit of convincing on her part to get Max to show her the dress before the wedding, but now that she was here, seconds away from seeing the dress her daughter would be wed in, she couldn’t remember being more nervous since the day she gave birth to the young woman in front of her. Of course, the door to Max’s bedroom was locked so that Chloe couldn’t wander in (as she had a habit of doing at the most inopportune moments) and ruin the surprise of seeing her bride-to-be in her wedding dress, even though they had picked out the dress together. Vanessa had insisted on Max wearing her old wedding dress that she had worn when she and Ryan had married, but Max was so attached to the dress that she and Chloe had found together that Vanessa quickly gave up on trying to convince her slightly stubborn daughter.

“Uhf, okay, I think I’m ready,” Max said from behind the divider, her breathing heavy. “Uh, mom?” She asked with concern, snapping Vanessa from her daze.

“Oh! Sorry, hun, I was in my own little world, what was that?” She asked as her cheeks turned red and Max giggled.

“I said I’m ready to show you, if you’re ready,” Max repeated, which drew a small squeal from the older woman.

“Of course! Let’s see it,” Vanessa said breathlessly, pushing down on her leg to stop it from bouncing up and down. With a deep breath, Max stepped out from the divider, and almost instantly tears started to well in Vanessa’s eyes. The dress, though somewhat basic, was gorgeous, with an intricate arrangement of fabric flowers sewn onto the chest and a large butterfly stitched into the side of the dress in a colour so close to that of the dress that it was only visible in very specific lighting conditions. Max’s hair was tied back into a ponytail, a look that she rarely sported as she felt it was too time consuming and complicated to put her hair up, and her shaking arms were covered with elegant, white satin sleeves. As soon as Max saw her mother’s eyes fill with tears, she blushed a deep red, kicking at the carpet with ballet flats that Vanessa had dug out of her closet.

“So… you like it?” Max asked quietly, her eyes flicking up to her mother’s teary grin and then back down to her freshly polished shoes. “Chloe was worried it was too simple but…” Max’s voice trailed off as she caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror to her left. Something about seeing herself in her wedding dress for the first time caught her off guard, and she couldn’t help but stare at her reflection. She saw herself walking down the aisle with her father, joining Chloe at the altar, sealing the marriage with a kiss… a hand on her shoulder jolted Max out of her daydream.

“It’s perfect, honey. You look stunning,” Vanessa’s voice was hardly a whisper and yet the words seemed to ring in Max’s ears. “I just can’t believe it, our little girl is really all grown up,” she continued, the last words almost indecipherable through a choked back sob. Blinking tears from her eyes frantically, Max turned to face her mother, unable to wipe the bright smile from her face.

“It’s kinda crazy, right?” She asked simply, which elicited a small chuckle from Vanessa. 

“Not really, you always talked about getting married when you were little, it was just… usually more traditional, if you get me,” she said somewhat cautiously, making Max roll her eyes with a light groan.

“Yeah, I get you, mom. I don’t think you ever expected me to get with Chloe,” she replied, but to her surprise, Vanessa just laughed again.

“Actually, we would’ve been surprised if you didn’t. You two were  _ so  _ close, we were kinda shocked that nothing happened between the two of you before we had to move. At least, nothing that we knew of,” she said, raising her eyebrows suspiciously. For a split second, Max’s heart stopped, afraid that Vanessa was hinting towards knowing something that she shouldn’t know, but Max almost immediately regained her composure.

“Ew, mom! We were kids, I still wasn’t sure if I even really  _ liked  _ girls,” Max lied through laughter, which made Vanessa loosen up slightly. She sat back down on Max’s bed, looking her daughter up and down with a grin.

“You know we’re so proud of you, right, Maxine?” Vanessa asked quietly after a couple minutes of silence, in which Max admired her dress in the mirror. As Vanessa spoke, Max sighed somewhat sadly and sat next to her mother, resting her head on the older woman’s shoulder.

“I guessed, most parents are proud of their kids,” Max said matter-of-factly.

“You know what I mean, smarty pants,” Vanessa replied, smiling softly as she ran her fingers through her daughter’s hair. “But really, after everything that happened, the fact you’re here and you’re about to get married is… it’s amazing, Maxine. We could have lost you in that storm, like so many other parents lost their children,” Vanessa’s voice dropped to a whisper. At these words, Max turned her head so she was almost nestling into the crook of Vanessa’s neck, tears stinging at the corners of her eyes. “I mean, you were so scared to go back to Arcadia Bay four years ago, and now you’re a successful photographer, and you’re marrying your soulmate… it’s like a miracle, honey.” When Vanessa was done talking, a silence hung over the room for a moment, only broken by the occasional sniffle from either woman.

“I-I should probably take this off so it doesn’t get ruined, right?” Max croaked after almost five minutes, which seemed to bring Vanessa back down to earth.

“Oh! Oh yeah, hun, we don’t want it getting all crinkled,” she said airily as Max sat up straight and gingerly lifted herself from the bed. Before Max had even hid behind the divider, she had already unzipped the dress and was pulling her right arm from its sleeve with a quiet grunt of “crap”. Only a minute later, the dress was thrown on top of the divider and Max emerged from the divider, back in her usual home outfit of a tank top and shorts.

“I should go see David, make sure he and Chloe are doing alright with her dress,” Max said, failing to stifle a yawn. “Maybe after another coffee,” she muttered, as Vanessa laughed.

“Good plan, I’ll get this all ready for the big day,” she replied, walking to the divider and plucking the pristine dress that was slung over it. “Oh, and your father is busting out the grill again tomorrow, maybe you and Chloe could help him with cooking?” She said, the wording as a question being more of a formality than an actual chance to make a decision. Regardless, Max grinned at her mother, who kept looking down at the dress in her hands.

“I’ll try to convince Chloe,” Max responded simply, turning towards her bedroom door before stopping suddenly, her hand on the doorknob. “And - uh - thanks, mom. For the talk and letting all of us stay here. I promise we’ll clear out not long after the wedding,” Max said sheepishly. To her relief, her mother simply smiled, and walked towards the door herself.

“Take as long as you need, sweetie,” she replied, planting a gentle kiss on the top of Max’s head before opening the door to the bedroom and walking towards the utilities room, humming happily. To Max’s left, muffled shouting could be heard.

_ “What do you mean your bra is stuck?” _

_ “I MEAN MY BRA IS STUCK IN ONE OF THE HOOKS, GIVE ME A HAND!” _

_ “How can I help with that?” _

Max couldn’t decide whether to laugh or groan as she pushed open the door to the guest room, more than ready to help solve this obviously catastrophic problem.

  
**October 10th, 2017, 11:54 PM**

As the day of the wedding drew closer and closer, the mood in the Caulfield house became increasingly frantic and tense. Max’s parents were constantly rushing around to make sure they were doing everything they could to help, Max herself was taking it in turns with David to call every person involved with the wedding to ensure that it would all go off without a hitch, and Chloe was taking a smoke break almost every hour with Victoria. Needless to say, when Max and Chloe flopped onto Max’s bed on the night before the wedding, they both could have fallen asleep right that instant. 

“Ugh, what time is it, Maximus?” Chloe asked, her voice muffled by the pillow she had put over her face. 

“You have a phone, you can check, dork,” Max answered sleepily, fighting to keep her eyes open. From her right, Chloe groaned weakly, and she heard some rustling followed by a small gasp.

“Ooh, Maxi, five minutes,” Chloe said, sounding more awake than ever. Max, however, just mumbled indistinctly, already drifting off to sleep. “C’mon, don’t fall asleep now! I - uh - I got something for you,” Chloe said, embarrassment creeping into her words. Lazily, Max opened an eye and looked at her fiancée with a smile.

“Did you really get me a gift even though  _ we’re  _ the ones getting married?” Max asked teasingly, earning a playful punch in the arm from Chloe.

“Hey, do you want the gift or not?” She asked, her offended tone betrayed by the grin tugging at the corners of her lips. With an exasperated groan, Max sat up, rubbing at her bleary eyes as Chloe got off the bed and rummaged around in the closet for something. 

“So is this the reason you made us all stay up to watch  _ Die Hard _ ? So you could give me a present as soon as it was officially our wedding day?” Max asked, to which Chloe let out an exaggerated gasp.

“C’mon, Max, who do you take me for? I made us stay up to watch  _ Die Hard  _ because it’s a kickass movie  _ and  _ so I could give you this,” she said, as Max fought back a yawn. 

“It  _ was  _ a good movie,” Max murmured sleepily, which made Chloe laugh.

“Damn right, you were always too scared to watch it when we were kids, remember?” Chloe asked, turning away from the closet with her hands behind her back.

“I mean, it is kinda scary. He’s walking barefoot on broken glass, that shit would hurt!” Max said as her cheeks glowed a soft pink. 

“Yeah whatever, you big baby,” Chloe teased with a smile, tossing a small cardboard box at Max. “Here, you can’t open it for another…” she pulled her phone out of her pocket, her smile widening. “Two minutes!” Max’s heart fluttered as Chloe’s voice got higher with excitement. Gingerly, she shook the small box, trying to figure out what kind of present Chloe could have gotten her. 

“Am I allowed to guess what it is?” Max asked, holding the box up to her ear.

“Sure, but I’m not gonna say whether you get it right or not,” Chloe responded, sitting down opposite Max on the bed.

“Well, what’s the point in me guessing?”

“Don’t look at me, Caulfield, you’re the one that wanted to guess.” 

“Oh right, yeah,” Max muttered as Chloe laughed.

“Man, maybe I should’ve just let you sleep. You’re cute when you’re dumb and tired, though,” Chloe teased, which made Max roll her eyes.

“Can I just open it now?” She asked as Chloe pulled her phone out again, her eyes fixed to the top of the bright screen.

“Hold on…” she muttered, holding up a finger. They were both silent for a moment, before Chloe pointed at Max with a smile. “Go ahead, babe,” she said happily, as Max finally pulled the box open, gasping softly at the contents inside.

“Oh, Chloe…” she mumbled, pulling out a necklace with what looked to be a pendant of a mobius strip, something that Max immediately recognised from her long nights of researching time travel when she first used her powers. With shaking hands, she admired the ornate pendant, eventually looking up to see Chloe watching her nervously.

“You like it?” She asked quietly, anxiously drumming her fingers on her own thigh. In lieu of an answer, Max put the necklace over her head, shivering slightly at the cold touch of the pendant to her chest. As soon as Max put the necklace on, Chloe’s nervous demeanor became much more lively and happy, even as Max still seemed at a loss for words.

“How did you even get this?” Max asked finally, while Chloe took her jeans off and climbed into bed.

“Saving, young Maxine, I know it’s a foreign concept to you,” she teased.

“Shut up,” Max muttered simply, holding back laughter as Chloe whistled at the sight of her t-shirt coming off. Soon enough, both women were under the covers together, Max’s head resting on Chloe’s chest. The faint sound of Chloe’s heartbeat always had a soothing effect on Max this late at night, so it wasn’t long before she was drifting off to sleep, her arms wrapped around her soon-to-be wife. 

“Sleep well, babe,” Chloe whispered, pressing her lips to Max’s forehead gently as Max’s muscles relaxed and her breathing became softer. 

  
**October 11th, 2017, 2:23 PM**

As Max stared out at the sun shining down on the beautiful marquee that had been set up in her parents’ back garden, she began to wonder how different her life would have been had she made the wrong choice exactly four years ago. Of course, she wouldn’t be marrying Chloe, and she might not have been back in Seattle. She definitely wouldn’t have lived in New York for three years, or been featured in all the famous art galleries she had been fortunate enough to be involved with.

But, the thing that really stuck with her was one simple question. Would she have fallen in love again? As silly as she sometimes thought it sounded, she could never imagine herself loving anyone but Chloe. Ever since they were kids, there was a special connection between them that could have been described as love, even that early on. But especially after reconnecting all those years ago… to picture herself with someone like Warren, or Kate, even Victoria or Dana, it just felt so wrong. It was almost as if she and Chloe were soulmates, destined to be together.

“Partners in time,” Max whispered to herself, holding the mobius strip pendant Chloe had gifted her between her fingers. Her eyes refocused on the marquee outside, at the seven or so chairs set up inside the relatively small structure. If Max still had the same mentality she had when she was 13, she would be bawling at how frankly pitiful this wedding was, but 22 year old Max couldn’t be happier with the understated nature of the ceremony. No big crowds of relative strangers, no church bells ringing in her ears, no expensive limo to cart her off to some nightclub. All she needed, all she wanted, was Chloe; someone to ordain; and her parents. The marquee started to go out of focus as Max’s eyes glazed over, imagining how quaint and peaceful the ceremony was going to be, before a knock on the door snapped her back to the real world. The world in which she would be wed in almost thirty minutes.

“Uh, who is it?” Max asked, her voice shakier than she expected. The door creaked open slightly, and Vanessa’s head poked through the crack between the door and the frame, a seemingly permanent grin etched onto her face.

“Just wanted to tell you that David’s minister friend, Mr. Lawrence, is here. David says he and Chloe are just finishing up. Are you all set?” She asked, opening the door a couple inches more and standing up straight in the gap. After a split second of deliberation, Max nodded, unable to stop a smile from creeping onto her lips.

“Hella ready,” she said quietly, which made Vanessa roll her eyes sarcastically.

“Okay punk princess. Dad will come get you when it’s time, okay?” She said as Max walked towards the door, her dress dragging on the floor an inch behind her. Even though she tried to keep her cool, Vanessa couldn’t help but shed a tear at the sight of her daughter on her big day, and she pulled Max into a tight hug which was returned with just as much enthusiasm. “God, we’re so proud of you, sweetie,” Vanessa whispered through sniffles.

“I know, mom, I know…” Max replied, rocking back and forth on her heels as Vanessa finally broke the hug and held Max at arms length, admiring her one last time. Finally, with a deep sigh, Vanessa let go of her daughter and backed up to the open door, still smiling and wiping the tears from her eyes.

“See you soon, hun,” she whispered as she gently shut the door to Max’s bedroom, leaving her alone with her thoughts once again. Outside the window, Max could hear indistinct chattering between her father and the minister. She caught the words “vows” and “rings” before the conversation moved further into the marquee, where their voices became too muffled to carry up to Max’s bedroom window. With an impatient groan, she slammed the window shut and started pacing back and forward in front of her bed, her heart rate steadily rising with each passing minute. Any second now, her father would open that door, whisk her down to the marquee, and walk her down the aisle to Chloe. Just the thought was making her stomach turn inside out with anticipation. Somehow, this short wait felt more stressful than anything she had ever done previously. Worse than her first gallery showcase, worse than her first night with Chloe in New York, worse than her last week in Arcadia Bay. Yet, the anxiety and fear that felt like it was setting her stomach ablaze was mixed with the cooling feeling of pure love for Chloe. The fact that in only twenty minutes or so, she would be legally married to her best friend, to her soulmate… it seemed to calm her shaking hands, even if only slightly. However, just as she started to feel more at peace about the ceremony ahead of her, there was a knock at the door that shattered the calmness that was washing over her. Shaking slightly, Max turned to face the door, where her father was standing in the door frame, looking suave in a black tuxedo. His eyes looked wet, and although it was almost hidden by his bushy beard, he was smiling widely.

“Ready to go?” He asked simply, extending an arm to Max. Admittedly, part of her wanted to refuse. She wanted to just sit on the windowsill, play her guitar and watch the sunset and not have to worry about any of the pressures of the wedding. But, more than that, she wanted to be fully committed to Chloe, she wanted to take the next step in their relationship. So, with one last deep breath, Max walked to her father and held onto his forearm, flashing a smile at him that was quickly returned.

“I’ve always dreamed of this, you know,” Ryan said quietly, looking down at his daughter with a kind smile. “Walking you down the aisle. For whatever reason, I always imagined Chloe was the one waiting for you, too. Destiny, I guess.”

* * *

As Max walked through the middle of the marquee in the back garden, arm in arm with her father, ‘Here Comes the Bride’ ringing in her ears, she couldn’t help but think back to her childhood. When she and Chloe used to ‘play wedding’. They would steal a far too big dress from Joyce and one of William’s garish tuxedos and pretend to get married, just using their knowledge of weddings from movies and TV. They would say their ‘vows’, which usually consisted of cliches from those same movies and TV shows, and then Minister Bongo would lick his privates to pronounce them man and wife. And then… they would kiss. The first time they did this pretend wedding, they absolutely refused to kiss, instead simply shaking hands. But, as the years drew on and they grew up together, they started getting more comfortable with the idea. Max could vividly remember the first and last day they actually kissed during their ‘wedding’. Max was 12, Chloe 13, and they were hanging out after school in Chloe’s room. Of course, Chloe had brought up the idea of having another fake wedding, mostly to involve Bongo in their playdate and get him out of William’s hair. So Max put on the dress, Chloe dressed herself up in the tuxedo, and they stood at the ‘altar’ together. As Chloe said her stereotypical vows, all Max could think was  _ “Today’s the day I kiss her.”  _ When the time came for them to seal the marriage, Max had brushed a strand of hair from Chloe’s face, which made the older girl blush wildly. 

“Max, what’s this about?” Chloe had asked, her voice shaking slightly. In response, Max simply shrugged, still cupping her crush’s cheek in her hand. 

“Don’t you wanna try it?” Max had asked in a hushed whisper, her eyes flicking to Chloe’s bedroom door to be sure nobody was going to barge in. Chloe was quiet for a minute, but her hand did drift up to Max’s waist, her fingers gripping softly. 

“I guess... it’s like practice, right? For when we get boyfriends...” Chloe muttered as she found Max’s hand with her own, interlocking their fingers. Max’s heart was beating erratically, her eyes were locked with Chloe’s. Finally, Chloe had inhaled deeply and pressed her lips together, leaning towards the stunned Max. Frantically, Max had closed her eyes and leaned towards the taller girl, her lips pursed. When their lips touched, it felt like an electric shock had gone through both of their bodies. Although neither girl knew what they were doing, they had seen couples on TV kiss enough that they knew the vague steps. Chloe’s lips had parted slightly as Max drew small circles on Chloe’s cheek with her thumb. Every sound, smell, taste, was burned into Max’s memory. The sound of mild chatter on the street outside Chloe’s window, the way Max could taste the chewing gum they had stolen from Joyce on Chloe’s lips, the slightly overwhelming smell of perfume that attacked Max’s nostrils as she locked lips with her best friend. However, after only a few seconds of this stunning new experience, Chloe had stepped back suddenly, her cheeks burning bright red.

“Woah, that was… intense,” she had mumbled nervously, laughing slightly. “Maybe we should, um, go back to just drawing comics?” Chloe had said, still holding onto Max’s hand. For the next hour, as they coloured in comic book pages together, all Max could think about was the feeling of Chloe’s lips against her own. Even as she left Chloe’s house on her bike, she couldn’t stop herself from licking her lips to get a taste of her again.

Now, as Max walked towards her fiancée at the real altar, her heart beating at what felt like an unhealthily high rate, her father forcing back thick tears, she could finally appreciate the irony of those pretend weddings. For years, although she had always admired Chloe and had even developed feelings for her, Max would never have dreamed of marrying her. Her best friend, her partner in crime, but now… there was no other way she could imagine her life playing out. A measly eight plastic chairs lined the ‘aisle’ inside the marquee, but the fanfare she got was just as loud as if there were a hundred people. Though she tried not to look around in fear of tripping over her own feet, out of the corner of her eye Max saw David clapping heartily and Victoria dabbing at her face with a satin napkin. At the end of the aisle, in a beautiful white and gold dress, was Chloe. Her hair was tied back into a bun, and she had even added some blue accents to the faded green colour her hair had become over the last four years.  _ Classic Chloe… _

As they approached the altar, Ryan somewhat reluctantly let go of Max, choking out a “Good luck” as he sat down next to his own wife. Then, all that stood between her and a married life, was five steps to the altar. She took the first step, increasingly aware of the music quieting down. Step two, she could almost feel all the eyes watching her. Third step, the sounds of small sniffs and coughs became deafening. Step number four, the blood pounding in her ears became louder and louder. Last step. She looked up and saw Chloe, and felt the entire world fade away around her. Here she was, facing her soon-to-be wife at the altar, only seconds from being lawfully wed. It was a moment she had dreamed of for years, ever since they left Arcadia Bay and dedicated their lives to each other. Gently, Chloe took Max’s hands into her own, tracing shapes onto the back of Max’s hands with her thumbs. To her left, Max could hear the minister speaking, but none of his words registered in her brain. She was too busy looking into Chloe’s eyes, admiring the way the corners of her eyes crinkled because of how much she was smiling, and how she kept biting her lip nervously. Suddenly, the minister seemed to say something that caught Chloe’s attention as she broke eye contact with Max and looked over at the older man to Max’s left.

“Oh, right,” Chloe muttered, sounding embarrassed about something. Just as Max was about to ask what was wrong, Chloe cleared her throat dramatically, as her cheeks glowed red.

“Maxine Caulfield. Maxi, Maximus, Maxamillian, whatever other dumb nicknames I’ve given you over the years. I’ll stick with ‘Max’. You’re the kindest, most loving, most driven person I’ve ever had the joy of knowing. Every day, you make me better, you make me more motivated, more willing to do the right thing. So, Max, I promise to always love you until the day I die, to grow and become better with you, to always be your partner in time,” she finished, smiling warmly. So many thoughts rushed through Max’s head as Chloe read her vows but none more than the one thought she was able to vocalise.

“I love you,” She breathed, quiet enough so that only Chloe could possibly hear her. The minister said something else that went over Max’s head, but she knew it was her turn from the way Chloe raised her eyebrows expectantly. Desperately, she pictured the piece of paper she had scrawled her speech on, the speech she had been trying to learn for the last three months. Finally, all the words came together in her head, and she took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

“Chloe, after everything we’ve been through together, I don’t think there’s a shortage of stories to tell. But, I want to keep those stories and any other stories we make in the future just for us _. _ So, I promise to never stop having adventures with you. I promise to wake up every morning and never stop loving you, because I  _ could _ never stop loving you. I promise to be your partner in time, until the end of time and beyond,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. For the first time since arriving back in Seattle, Max saw a tear fall from the corner of Chloe’s eye, but she quickly wiped it away before anyone other than Max could see. 

“May I have the rings please?” Mr. Lawrence’s voice finally registered in Max’s mind, and she barely stifled a giggle at how surprisingly high pitched his voice was. Behind Chloe, David rushed over to Mr. Lawrence, a small black box in his hands. Silently, he handed the box off and returned to his seat, his slightly ratty suit billowing behind him. “Repeat after me, please: I give you this ring, as a daily reminder of my love for you,” Mr. Lawrence said, offering Max and Chloe identical gold rings. Of course, Chloe went first, taking Max’s hand in her own and gently slipping the ring onto Max’s fourth finger on her left hand, so it almost rested on top of the engagement ring. The cold touch of the metal sent a shiver through Max’s body, but she was so tensed up that she was able to almost completely ignore the uncomfortable sensation.

“I give you this ring, as a daily reminder of my love for you,” Chloe recited as she dropped Max’s hands, allowing the shorter girl to mirror Chloe’s action with her own ring.

“I give you this ring, as a daily reminder of my love for you,” Max repeated, sliding the ring down Chloe’s finger. 

“By the power of your love and commitment, and the power vested in me, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss your wife,” Mr. Lawrence finally said, which both Max and Chloe had been preparing themselves for. Gingerly, Chloe wrapped an arm around Max’s waist, pulling the smaller girl close as Max took Chloe’s face in her hands. Their lips met in a passionate kiss, much different from their first kiss almost ten years ago. There was no air of unease, or awkwardness, or even any sort of discomfort now. All there was between the couple was love, a love that had never been stronger than right in that moment. Had the rest of the people in the marquee not started clapping and cheering, neither woman was sure if the kiss would have ended at all. They might have been attached by the lips for the rest of time, but there was no way either woman would have complained. After they finally broke the kiss, they pressed their foreheads together, looking deeply into each other’s eyes as pop music began to play from speakers placed around the marquee.

“We made it,” Chloe whispered happily, running her hand up and down Max’s back.

“We made it,” Max replied, still tracing circles on Chloe’s cheeks with her thumbs. Then, with another bright grin from each woman, their lips met again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Sorry this last chapter is so long, I just had a lot I wanted to put in here. But hey, better a meaty satisfying ending than a short but disappointing ending, right? Anyway, the next chapter is a short epilogue to send off this fic and then I'm washing my hands of it. Big thank you to everyone who supported the fic, shared on twitter or tumblr, left comments or kudos, or even just read it. It's much appreciated and I hope any new people will stick with me for my next fics. 
> 
> Follow me on twitter: @DARKROOMMAX


	6. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her heart racing, Max crept towards the door, mentally preparing herself for the absolute worst outcome. Finally, she reached the dark oak door, her hand shaking slightly as she grabbed hold of the brass doorknob. With one last deep breath, she pushed open the door.

**June 8th, 2019, 4:35 PM**

The intense Santa Monica sun cast a harsh shadow across Max’s face as she sat on the front porch of her quaint one-storey house, a book in one hand and a glass of lemonade in the other, the mobius strip pendant Chloe had gifted her on their wedding day hanging from her neck. Squinting against the sunlight with a slight groan, she flicked her sunglasses down from their resting place on top of her head to the bridge of her nose, pushing them up her nose with her pinky as she took a sip of lemonade, a colourful tattoo of roses on her left wrist shining in the sunlight. The small cul-de-sac their house was a part of was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday afternoon in the middle of summer. Usually, there were groups of children chasing each other around the neighbourhood, or families having barbecues in their back gardens, but there was none of that this afternoon. Not that Max was complaining, she always cherished the quiet moments in life whenever they came around. However, there was something about this silence that was throwing her off, so much so that she caught herself reading the same sentence in her photographer’s handbook five times over. Sighing heavily, she set the book down, rubbing at her eyes behind her sunglasses. Some combination of the heat, the eerie stillness of the suburb, and the lack of communication from Chloe was throwing her off to the point where she just packed up her stuff with a sigh, pushing open the door to the small house with her elbow. It was just as silent inside, and Max felt her heart rate pick up. Gently, she set her book, sunglasses and lemonade down on the coffee table in the living room and looked towards her bedroom door, which was cracked open just a couple centimetres. Her heart racing, Max crept towards the door, mentally preparing herself for the absolute worst outcome. Finally, she reached the dark oak door, her hand shaking slightly as she grabbed hold of the brass doorknob. With one last deep breath, she pushed open the door.

“Chloe!” Max shouted as she entered the room, which startled the sleeping woman back to consciousness.

“Huh? What? What happened? Are you alright?” Chloe spluttered, looking around frantically for any sign of danger, purposefully avoiding her pissed off wife’s eyes.

“It’s, like, almost five, Chlo. I thought you were working on stuff.” Chloe winced slightly at the hurt in Max’s voice, and she shook her head apologetically.

“I mean, I was, I just got kinda tired, so…” she muttered, gesturing towards the bed she was sitting on. “Look, I’m sorry, Maxi. I had a long night last night,” she finally said, looking up at Max, who was still standing in the entranceway, her arms crossed but a softer look in her eyes than when she first entered. With a small sigh, Max walked over to the bed in the middle of the room, sitting down next to Chloe and resting her head on the older woman’s shoulder.

“I know, I was just worried about you. I can’t help it,” Max mumbled, closing her eyes as Chloe put an arm around her waist, holding her tightly.

“Believe me, babe, I know,” Chloe said quietly, running a hand through her unkempt bedhead. “Hey, at least you managed to put your hair up without me,” she teased, which made Max giggle against Chloe’s sleeve.

“I’m not totally useless, you know,” Max said, looking up at Chloe with a grin. “Besides, you’re a good teacher.”

“Horseshit, I know you just googled how to do it,” Chloe immediately replied, shoving Max lightly as the other girl broke into a laughing fit. 

“Busted,” Max said between giggles, as Chloe sighed in feigned frustration. 

“Thought so. Look, I’ll make it up to you for falling asleep. Picnic on the beach?” Chloe asked as Max’s laughter died down. 

“I thought we lost the basket?” Max asked, wiping at the corners of her eyes. Chloe laughed shortly and waved her hand dismissively with a smirk.

“Nah, _you_ lost it. You put it on a high shelf and then couldn’t reach it, remember?” She said, barely holding back a smug grin as Max’s cheeks turned pink.

“Oh yeah… so you got it down?” Max asked excitedly, which Chloe responded to with a proud nod. “Well, if we leave soon, we could probably get a good spot before all the tourists show up,” Max muttered, glancing at her watch.

“Sweet, I’ll get ready, you make some sandwiches or whatever?” Chloe asked, gently letting go of Max’s waist and standing up.

“Sounds good. BLTs?”

“You know me too well, Maximus.”

“That’s my job,” Max said gently, her heart fluttering slightly as she took one of Chloe’s hands in her own, standing on her toes to plant a kiss on her wife’s lips. In one fluid motion, Chloe turned her hand so her fingers were interlocked with Max’s and placed her other hand on the side of Max’s neck, her fingers entangled in her wife’s messy brown hair as her thumb gently brushed against her cheek. In return, Max wrapped her free arm around Chloe’s midsection, pulling her closer as both women deepened the kiss. In that one moment, everything in the world felt perfect to Max. The hot summer sun beating down on them, the sounds of cicadas outside the open window, the feeling of Chloe’s soft lips against her own, the slight shiver that rolled down her spine as Chloe’s fingers tightened their grip on her hair. The kiss could have lasted for mere seconds or hours, Max wasn’t sure. All she knew was that this was what her whole life had been leading towards. Living in paradise with the woman she’d always loved, living life and growing old together. 

Max and Chloe Price, partners in time.

Forever.


End file.
